How long was Holly Holm champion? Exploring "The Preacher's Daughter's" title reign
Holly Holm is widely considered to be a pioneer of women's MMA and boxing, with her career in combat sports spanning over 20 years.
Before making her MMA debut in 2011, Holm first started out as a professional boxer, winning her first fight in 2002. She then went on to become one of the most dominant champions of her time, winning multiple IBA, WBF, WIBA, and WBAN female welterweight titles.
She eventually called time on her pugilism career in 2013 to focus on MMA, bowing out of the sport with a highly impressive 33-3-2 record.
'The Preacher's Daughter' then competed for MMA promotions such as Bellator and Legacy FC before making the switch to the UFC in Feb. 2015.
By November of the same year, and in just her third fight in the promotion, she was handed the biggest bout of her career as she faced the seemingly unstoppable Ronda Rousey for the women's bantamweight title.
What transpired next would prove to be one of the biggest upsets in the organization's history, as Holm dominated Rousey before a stunning head kick and follow-up punches knocked Rousey out cold.
Holm not only won the title but also earned a performance, fight of the night, and knockout bonus. Her victory was also awarded the 'KO of the Year' for 2015.
How long was Holly Holm champion? Exploring "The Preacher's Daughter's" title reign
Whilst many then expected a long title reign for Holm herself, she was unable to defend the belt in her next fight and lost to Miesha Tate just four months later.
Holly Holm would eventually challenge for the women's bantamweight title again, as well as the women's featherweight title, but came up short in her pursuits of the gold.
She's next tasked with spoiling the arrival of Kayla Harrison at UFC 300 next weekend. With a win, she could earn another chance at regaining the bantamweight belt down the line.