Holly Holm has no plans to retire after her UFC 300 loss.
The former bantamweight champion suffered a dominant defeat against promotional newcomer Kayla Harrison at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
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During his post-fight press conference, Dana White suggested it was time for Holm to move on from his Hall of Fame fighting career after losing to a potentially “nervous” opponent.
“I don’t care what level Kayla Harrison competed at, I guarantee you she had some serious nerves tonight,” the UFC CEO said.
“She got there and she literally made her an absolute legend in all combat sports. Obviously, a big evening for her and a big victory.
“I would love to see Holly retire.”
On Sunday, the 42-year-old reflected on a bad night at the office and sent a defiant message to anyone suggesting she quit MMA after her latest loss.
“Well, none of this has gone the way I thought it would over the last ten weeks of this training camp,” Holm said in a video shared on his Instagram page.
“I have no excuses. I had the best coaching, the best teammates, the best sparring, all the help I could have dreamed of asking for.
“I went in there and lost all focus on the game plan. I didn’t do anything we trained for in this fight. All respect to Kayla, she was the better fighter tonight.
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“I just know I’m capable of more than that. I am one of those who likes to think rather than run away from things. I think being honest with yourself can sometimes be the hardest thing.
“I’m healthy. My heart hurts, my ego hurts. But I just wanted to thank all the fans who have always been by my side and of course, my team, my coaches, my family, my friends.
“Lots of love to everyone, I appreciate you. I’ll be back.”
Before transitioning to MMA in 2011, Holm was a three-weight world boxing champion, who defended his title 18 times during a 38-fight career in the sport.
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“The Preacher’s Daughter” made the sport look easy when she quickly accumulated a 9-0 record before being booked to face UFC superstar Ronda Rousey.
Holm was a huge underdog, but she shockingly became the first person to beat “Rowdy” when she knocked her out in two rounds in November 2015.
Since then, Holm has lost seven of her last 13 fights, but she remains a top competitor who clearly feels there is still much to achieve in the sport.
UFC fans can expect to see her back in the Octagon later this year.
