White: With a win, Holm is the greatest female fighter of all time
Dana White: “If Holly Holm wins this weekend, how can you argue that she’s not the greatest fighter of all time – female fighter?”
The UFC 219 main event has some mighty bragging rights at stake. Defending featherweight champion Cris Cyborg is the greatest fighter in women’s martial arts history. Holly Holm is the former bantamweight champion, and is as well ranked by BoxRec as the second greatest female boxer of all time.
UFC president Dana White appeared recently on The Herd, and made the case for legacy, starting with Cyborg.
This is the biggest fight of her career, said White, as transcribed by Jed Meshew for MMA Fighting. This is the true test for Cris Cyborg. If you look at Holly Holm: 13-time world boxing champion, multiple time kickboxing champion, beat Ronda Rousey and won the UFC title. Now Holm is moving up to 145 pounds and she’s actually a real 145-pounder – she’s tall, she’s big, she’s thick.”
For Cris Cyborg, to win this fight, obviously it’s a big fight for her. I think Holly Holm is her first real, true test. As far as the fight goes, Cyborg is a very aggressive fighter, knockout puncher, likes to move forward, aggressive and Holly Holm is a counterpuncher. She’s a great counterpuncher, and I actually expect this to be a great fight.
White had an even higher estimation of the upside for Holm. ‘The Preacher’s Daughter’ beat the seemingly unbeatable Ronda Rousey and took her title, but that was over two years ago. She is just 1-3 since. Holm lost her belt in the first defense to Miesha Tate. Then she lost to striker Valentina Shevchenko. Then she somehow landed in the inaugural featherweight title fight vs. Germaine de Randamie, who was then barely in the top 10 at bantamweight. Holm rebounded in her most recent fight vs. Bethe Correia. However, given her extraordinary record in boxing, and her tremendous accomplishments in the Octagon, White makes the compelling case that with a win, Holm is the greatest female combat sports athlete of all time.
If Holly Holm wins this weekend, how can you argue that she’s not the greatest fighter of all time – female fighter?” asked White.
It all goes down Saturday night.