Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones believes that’s the case as he wrote a Facebook post regarding his thoughts on his training partner in Holm:
In my opinion Holly Holm is already the G.O.A.T. of women’s combat sports. She was considered the greatest female boxer to ever compete in the sport and now she has defeated the greatest female mixed martial arts fighter to date. Her accolades are absolutely unheard of.
He went on to talk about how classy and down to earth she has always been and why the MMA community should embrace her as the new UFC women’s bantamweight champion following her destruction of superstar Ronda Rousey on Saturday night.
So I ask you. Is Holly Holm already the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) of women’s combat sports? Ronda Rousey was thought to be that female prior to getting annihilated against Holm because she had competed in MMA and there was such a huge gap between her and her competitors. There are other women out there that could be in consideration as well:
- Lucia Rijker, boxer (17-0, 14 KO’s) and kickboxer (37-0-1, 25 KO’s)
- Ann Wolfe, boxer (24-1, 15 KO’s, 1 NC)
- Ronda Rousey, MMA (12-1, 9 submissions, 3 TKO/KO)
- Holly Holm, boxer (33-2-3, 9 KO’s), kickboxing (2-1, 2 KO’s), and MMA (10-0, 7 KO’s)
Rijker competed in boxing and kickboxing just like Holm, but women’s MMA really wasn’t a viable option as she officially last competed in 2004. I’m sure there are other credible female combatants I’m missing out there, if so please feel free to list them in the comments section and give us your thoughts.