Boxing

Holly Holm Returns For First Title Fight In 13 Years

44-year-old former unified super lightweight champion looks to return to the top
Jaren Kawada|
May 14, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Holly Holm and Yolanda Vega pose for photos at Avalon Hollywood Theater. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
May 14, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Holly Holm and Yolanda Vega pose for photos at Avalon Hollywood Theater. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Holly Holm is looking to make boxing history, again.

Nearly 13 years after her last championship fight in boxing, Holm will return to the ring on Jan. 3, 2026, in a WBA women's lightweight title fight. The 44-year-old will face current champion Stephanie Han, who claimed the belt in February.

The fight will consist of 10 three-minute rounds, according to the official announcement from Most Valuable Promotions.

Holm returned to boxing after a 12-year hiatus in June, when she beat the previously undefeated Yolanda Vega by unanimous decision. She made her return on the undercard of the Jake Paul vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. fight card.

The fight will mark Holm's second with Most Valuable Promotions, with which she signed following her exit from the UFC. Han is also an MVP fighter, having signed with the promotion in early 2025.

Many modern fans know Holm for her 16-fight UFC career, during which she gained mainstream recognition for her stunning knockout of Ronda Rousey. However, 'The Preacher's Daughter' built a Hall of Fame boxing career long before she ever stepped foot in the Octagon.

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Should she beat Han, Holm would become a four-division boxing world champion. She has never before claimed the 135-pound title, conquering as high as middleweight and as low as super lightweight.

Han, 35, enters the fight with an 11-0 record after picking up her first title defense against Paulina Angel in August. Outside of boxing, she is a police officer in El Paso, Texas.

Jake Paul reacts to Holly Holm's title fight

Jake Paul
Jun 28, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Jake Paul fights against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The news of Holm's title fight stunned some, but excited many others. Few were more enthused with the news than co-founder Jake Paul.

Like many other combat sports fans, Paul is in awe of Holm's sustained success, 23 years after she began her boxing career. He expressed admiration and excitement for Holm, both from a fan's and promoter's perspective, on social media.

"If you told me at 19 while watching Holly Holm become a UFC champ that 1 day I would be promoting her in a boxing world title... LFG," Paul tweeted. "Stephanie Han (champ, mother & active police officer) vs Holly Holm."

The bout will be on the undercard of a fight card in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Amanda Serrano headlines the event in a rematch against Erika Cruz for the WBO and WBA women's featherweight title.

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Jaren Kawada
JAREN KAWADA

Jaren Kawada is a combat sports writer who specializes in betting, with over five years of experience in boxing and MMA. When he is not covering the sport, Kawada is an avid MMA, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and boxing practitioner. Kawada has previous bylines with ClutchPoints, Sportskeeda MMA, BetSided and FanSided MMA. Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Kawada has a B.A. in Sports Media from Butler University and now resides in Denver, Colorado.

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