Holly Holm Didn’t Care When Fans Booed Her In Singapore

HollyHolmPRess

Holly Holm got herself back in the win column this past weekend (Sat. June 17, 2017) when she took home a vicious third round KO win over former UFC bantamweight title challenger Bethe Correia.

Holm came into the bout on a three-fight losing streak since shocking the mixed martial arts (MMA) world when she became the first woman in the sport’s history to defeat then-UFC women’s 135-pound queen Ronda Rousey with a second round knockout in Australia. Holm uncorked a nasty head-kick that ended it all for “The Rowdy One,” and she brought that kick back when she finished “Pitbull” this last night.

During the post-fight press conference Holm was asked about the crowd’s negative reaction to her slow start and the lack of action in the opening round. “The Preacher’s Daughter” simply answered that she was virtually unaffected by the boos that echoed throughout the stadium (quotes via MMA Junkie):

“The game plan was not to rush anything,” Holm said. “We knew the crowd might boo; it’s the type of game plan the crowd might boo.”

“As soon as I heard it, I just thought, ‘You know what, I’m the one in here fighting. I’m going to stick to the game plan, and I’m going to pick the right shot,’” she said.

Ronda Rousey vs Holly HolmHolm’s perfectly timed head-kick couldn’t have came at a more perfect time, as she nailed it just after Correia taunted her to push forward and bring the action to her. Just like the boos, however, Holm says that the Brazilian’s taunting had no affect on her performance either:

“If I was training to fight me, I’d be like, ‘OK, she has a left kick. Let’s watch out for it,’” Holm said. “It’s one of those things, just that competitive side of me that thinks, ‘You know it’s coming, but I still want to hit you with it.’

“The taunting doesn’t do anything to me. That’s never affected me in any fight I’ve ever had. My whole plan was to stick to my game plan.”

As for what’s next for the former 135-pound champ, Holm was just ready to retreat to her hotel room to pop open a cold beer and enjoy the view of Singapore from her hotel room:

“I really wanted to enjoy this camp, this fight week, and I wanted to remind myself over and over that I do this because I love it,” she said. “A lot of people keep asking me, ‘What are you going to do now? You’re on a three-fight losing streak – what are you going to do now?’ It doesn’t really matter what everybody thinks I’m going to do. I started fighting because I love it and I’m passionate about it, and that was the reminder here. I’m going to be me. I’m the one who’s getting in there and fighting, anyway.”

“As far as what’s next for me, I see a beer and some french fries, and a beautiful view over Singapore at the hotel,” Holm said.

USATSI 10116377 168382968 lowres
David McIntyre for USA TODAY Sports