Is Kayla Harrison the next Ronda Rousey? Holly Holm gives her take

30 January 2024

As the highly anticipated UFC 300 approaches, Holly Holm finds herself intrigued by the upcoming clash against Kayla Harrison, but she remains unfazed by comparisons drawn between her opponent and former rival Ronda Rousey.

If all goes smoothly leading up to the bout on April 13, Holm is eager to see how the fight unfolds when they step across from each other in the cage. Harrison's background in judo has naturally led to comparisons with Rousey, whom Holm famously knocked out in November 2015 to claim the UFC championship.

Holm, however, dismisses the notion that past experiences against a judo champion automatically give her an advantage. She emphasizes the differences in size, style, and stance between Harrison and Rousey, stating, “They don’t even stand in the same stance. Everything is different. Some similarities yes, but for the most part, it’s different. Their striking, what they go for is different. It’s nothing where I’m like, ‘I’ve beat a judo champion before, so I’ve got this in the bag.’ I’m not thinking about that at all.”

At 42 years old, with just one loss in her past five fights, Holm remains a relevant force in her division. Despite being nearly eight years since she last held a UFC championship, the desire to reclaim gold still burns within her. Holm acknowledges the importance of putting deserving contenders in line for title shots and emphasizes that her goal is always to fight for the belt.

“I’ve fought for the belt more than once, so a lot of people think about what the anticipation is. They want to see other people fight for the belt,” Holm said. “But you’ve also got to put people in line who deserve to be there. And there’s a reason why I have been up there – because I’ve stayed ranked in the top five for a really long time. My goal is always to get to the belt. If I’m not fighting for the belt, I don’t want to be fighting at all. If I don’t have some kind of path to the belt, I don’t really want to do it. I’m not just fighting for a payday. I’m not just fighting for fun. It’s with a goal in mind.”

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As Holm maintains her focus on her championship aspirations, the clash with Kayla Harrison at UFC 300 promises to be a pivotal moment in both fighters' careers.