Holly Holm pulled off probably the biggest upset in women’s mixed martial arts history when she knocked out Ronda Rousey to win the UFC bantamweight title.

Unfortunately for Holm her title reign was short-lived, as she dropped her first title defense, losing to Miesha Tate by fifth round submission by rear-naked choke.

In her next, Holm squared off with rising contender Valentina Shevchenko, but lost a unanimous decision. In that fight Holm suffered an injury to her thumb which will require surgery and some time off. Speaking to local news station KOB 4, Holm said that the time off might actually be a ‘blessing in disguise’:

Yeah, I was pushing pretty hard through the last couple fights, she said. Maybe that took a toll on me, not just physically but mentally. I’m going to focus on some other things that I need to take care of outside of the fighting world.

I think everything happens for a reason, added Holm’s manager, Lenny Fresquez. I think Holly needed a little bit of a break. Her knee had been acting up a little bit. I think it’s a blessing in disguise, so it’s going to give her body time to recover.

source: kob.com