Holly Holm (15-6), a 41-year-old former UFC women's flyweight champion and former women's boxing world champion, will take on Brazilian Mayra Bueno Silva (10-2-1) in the main event of UFC on ESPN 49 on July 16 in Las Vegas, Nevada. If she wins, she will go for the title vacated by Amanda Nunes.
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In an exclusive interview with Telecomasia.net, the only female champion in both boxing and the UFC talks about:
- her ambitions to regain her UFC title;
- Amanda Nunes' retirement;
- her experience training with Yana Santos (Kunitskaya);
- Tyson Fury's upcoming boxing match with Francis Ngannou;
- why Jon Jones is dangerous for any fighter.
"I'm going to be the next flyweight champion"
- In March, you signed a new six-fight contract with the UFC. Do you feel motivated to fight at this high level for another two or three years?
- I still enjoy fighting and training. Maybe I need more time to recover, but I'm happy to be here and I'm happy to sign a new contract.
- Who will be the new flyweight champion after Amanda Nunes retires and do you plan to fight for the title?
- I think I will be the next champion in our division (laughs).
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- Do you have an opponent you'd like to face in the Octagon? Would you be interested in a rematch with one of the women who beat you?
- There is only one female athlete in the top 10 of my division that I would like to have a rematch with if given the opportunity. That would be Ketlen Vieira. I've fought Raquel Pennington twice and I beat her. There are only two girls above me in the rankings right now.
Then again, every fighter who’s lost wants a rematch. Now Amanda is gone and I would love to fight her again because everyone wants to fight for the title, it was in her hands and it would be the sweetest victory. Now she's done performing.
Without a doubt, Nunes has done everything she wanted to do in this sport. She didn't run away from anyone, she fought the toughest opponents and she did it perfectly, so I can only say good things about Amanda. Who knows, maybe she'll be back.
"Let Yana Santos choose her own way, I've had three straight losses too"
- Your wrestling in your fight against Russian Yana Santos was very impressive. What has helped you improve your wrestling and grappling so much in the last few years?
- I've been wrestling with my coach Israel Martinez who has been a big help in my MMA career since I decided to switch from boxing to mixed martial arts. A few other coaches have also helped me with certain aspects of wrestling.
When I started working with Israel, I realized that he has an amazing coaching style. He teaches you exactly what works best for your skills. He tries to teach good wrestling, but also tailors it to your own style and strengths, helping you build your own style.
My other coach Greg Jackson has also contributed to my wrestling and especially my clinch skills. He has trained many top fighters who have competed in the UFC, PRIDE, Strikeforce and other top promotions. His clinch is actually very simple, yet powerful, and it has helped me as well.
- Your opponent Mayra Bueno Silva is mainly known as a grappler. What do you think of her stand-up fighting?
- She's not afraid of stand-up fighting and she's capable of throwing multi-strike combos. She likes to hit with both her feet and hands and she's not afraid to miss. I have no problem fighting her.
- What do you think about Yana Santos' performance in the fight with you? She has lost three fights in a row, including two fights after returning from maternity leave. Is her form worse now than when she was training with you?
- When we trained together, she was always strong and kept improving her skills. Obviously, she put in a lot of work. She trained very hard every day and wasn't afraid of the pressure, unlike other fighters. I think she got a lot of wins because of her hard work and dedication.
Bet on MMA with 1xBetSantos has the ability to be unpredictable and has the right to build her career the way she wants and do what she wants. I also had three losses in a row, but I came back to the sport after that. I've been there and I know what it's like. Yana is still in the top 10 in the rankings, so let her choose her own way.
- Your dad used to come at a lot of your fights. Will he be in Las Vegas to support you?
- Yes, he will be in the audience with my brothers to support me.
"Ngannou used to win in MMA with his boxing, but it's going to be tough for him with Fury"
- What do you think about the boxing fight between Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury in October? Do you think the former UFC champion has a chance to win?
- I think there are a few things that Francis is great at. He fought most of his MMA fights in a boxing style and got his wins with punches. He rarely used body kicks, so it's easier for him to adapt to the boxing style, but it's certainly going to be tough for him against Tyson Fury. I think if Francis has a chance to win it will be by knockout. Tyson Fury is very sturdy.
Boxing is different from MMA because you can't rely on the clinch as much, you can't pin your opponent to the cage and use wrestling. Tyson Fury also has some powerful punches in his arsenal, but Francis is undoubtedly strong as well. As the fight goes on, Fury's advantage will become more apparent.
It's important for him to contain Francis' power in the beginning and keep boxing, that will lead him to victory. I respect both fighters, I like them both, so I won't show my preference for one or the other. We'll see what happens.
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- You consider Jon Jones to be the best fighter in MMA history. What do you think of his fight with Stipe Miocic? Will it be the fight of the year in the UFC?
- I think it will be a meeting of two of the most talented fighters in the heavyweight division. Jon and Stipe are very talented and versatile fighters. Their strength is not only in their powerful striking. This will be a confrontation between the two talents and I can't say how long it will last. Of course I'm looking forward to the fight and I'm sure many fans will want to see it.
- Some experts consider Russian Sergey Pavlovich to be the most dangerous challenge for Jones. Have you seen his fights? Do you agree?
- I've heard people say he's dangerous for Jones, but it's the styles that make the fights. I don't know when this fight is going to happen, but Jones has been considered undefeated for years for a reason. He's proven it time and time again in long, hard fights, so it's going to be incredibly difficult for anyone to beat him.
"It will be hard for me to leave because I love martial arts so much"
- What would you like to do when your career is over?
- I would like to stay in the boxing and martial arts industry, maybe become a commentator. I want to stay in the sport one way or another and continue to do what I enjoy. I love martial arts and I think there will be an opportunity for me and I will be able to use my strengths in this industry. It will be hard for me to just leave because I love martial arts so much.
- You have acted in 16 movies and TV series. Do you want to become a professional actress in the future?
- I always focus on what I'm doing right now. But anything can happen in the future. I'm always trying to have all kinds of interesting experiences, and this experience has been fantastic for me.
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