Holly Holm has not forgotten the way her bantamweight title reign ended five years ago and would still love the chance to get retribution.
The year was 2016. Holly Holm was riding high after dethroning the seemingly unbeatable Ronda Rousey and well on her way to becoming a global superstar in her own right. But right as Holm’s reign got off the ground, she stumbled in her first title defense.
The event: UFC 196. The opponent: Miesha Tate. Holm was in full control of the fight and appeared to be close to sealing her first successful title defense when Tate was suddenly able to take the action down to the mat late in the 5th and final round. The comeback win was completed when Tate secured a rear-naked choke that saw “The Preacher’s Daughter” go to sleep. Tate, like, Holm would drop the strap in her first title defense in a loss to Amanda Nunes, where the belt has remained safe and secure ever since.
Not long after losing the title, Miesha Tate retired from the sport. Holm has gone on to have other opportunities at recapturing UFC gold but has come up short each time. Every loss will sting to a competitor the likes of Holly Holm, but there is nothing quite like losing for the first time and in a world title fight at that. With Tate retired and out of the competitive picture, this experience was locked in the vault of Holm’s past, with nothing that could be done about it. Until now.
Miesha Tate’s Return Opens Up Opportunity For Retribution
Miesha Tate recently announced that she is returning to active competition. This news set the MMA world ablaze, and it also caught the attention of former champion Holly Holm. Now, Holm may finally have an opportunity to avenge her first loss in this sport while on her way to reclaiming the bantamweight title she once held.
“My plan is to compete for the belt, so if that fight ends up being on the way there, then absolutely,” Holm said Tuesday on an ESPN+ Q&A hosted by Laura Sanko. “I always like to avenge losses no matter what, so yes, I would like to do that, but I think sometimes you can get so fixated on one fight that you’re not focused on whatever is coming your way…
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“Whatever gets you to the belt, that’s my ultimate goal and it would be awesome if I could go through and do it all,” Holm said. “Avenge my loss (to Tate), then go to the belt.”
Holly Holm was most recently booked to face Julianna Peña in May but had to withdraw from the bout due to kidney swelling. As Holm recovers and prepares to return, Miesha Tate will be making her comeback against Marion Reneau on July 17. Time will tell if these two legends of the sport will cross paths again or if either of them will revisit the championship stage they occupied in 2016.
Would you be interested in seeing a rematch between Holly Holm and Miesha Tate?
