Holly Holm Unloads On Judges After Controversial Decision Loss To Stephanie Han At MVPW-03: “I Won The Fight”
Holly Holm believes the judges got it all wrong in her fight against Stephanie Han.
On Saturday night at the El Paso County Coliseum in Texas, Holm ran it back with reigning WBA lightweight champion Han in a highly anticipated rematch, only to be handed a result she clearly disagreed with.
Holm and Han first met in January, where their bout was prematurely halted in the seventh round following an accidental clash of heads. The fight ultimately went to the scorecards, with “The Preacher’s Daughter” losing a controversial technical decision.
Their second encounter unfolded much differently. Although Han enjoyed success early, Holm steadily found her rhythm and appeared to take control as the fight progressed. By the end of the 10-round contest, the former UFC bantamweight champion had amassed a sizeable advantage in total punches landed, outstriking “The Enforcer” 107-70.
Given Holm’s strong finish, many observers expected her hand to be raised when the official verdict was announced. Instead, the judges awarded Han a majority decision victory with scores of 96-94, 96-94, and 95-95, a result that left fans and Holm herself visibly stunned.
Holly Holm immediately pushed back against the judges’ ruling, maintaining in her in-ring interview that she believed she had done enough to secure the win.
Holly Holm Furious After Majority Decision Loss To Stephanie Han
During the post-fight press conference, Holly Holm remained outspoken about the result against Stephanie Han. While “The Preacher’s Daughter” credited Han for putting up a tough challenge, she firmly disagreed with the notion that her opponent had won the majority of the rounds.
I do think that she had a few rounds, but not six,” Holm said. “You have to win six rounds in order to win a ten round fight. I don’t give her six rounds. I feel it in my heart, I won.”
The 44-year-old New Mexico native went on to criticize the judging system, suggesting that officials without fighting experience can produce controversial scorecards, leaving fighters to suffer the consequences of disputed decisions.
“Here’s what’s frustrating about it: a lot of these judges haven’t fought before,” Holm added. “And you leave a piece of yourself in there every time. And then it’s just up to them to take it away from you if they want. And that’s what’s frustrating, because every fight, how you perform in this fight dictates what doors open for you… You pour your heart and soul into it. And then what’s next? What are my options? When you have a win, more options. When you have a loss, not as many.”
“And that’s what’s frustrating. It’s easy for them to go home and sleep at night. But every fight, you put so much into it. And when it comes out like that? If I didn’t feel like I did enough, I wouldn’t be saying that. I felt like I won the fight.”
With back-to-back defeats to Han, Holm’s professional boxing record now stands at 34-4-3. Before transitioning to MMA, “The Preacher’s Daughter” enjoyed a highly successful boxing career, capturing multiple world titles, including the IBF and WBF super lightweight championships, which she held until 2013.
Holm later transitioned to MMA, famously knocking out Ronda Rousey to capture the UFC bantamweight title in 2015. She retired from the sport with a professional record of 15-7, including an 8-7 mark with one no contest in the UFC.
