Holly Holm eyeing title shot with UFC 300 win over Kayla Harrison: “My goal is always to get to the belt”
Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm wants a title shot with a win over Kayla Harrison.
‘The Preacher’s Daughter’ has been out of the cage since a no-contest with Mayra Bueno Silva last July. That bout was originally a submission win for the Brazilian but was overturned after a failed drug test. For months, there was radio silence on a potential return to the octagon for Holly Holm.
Suddenly, Dana White announced the former champion’s return earlier this month against Kayla Harrison. The former two-time PFL tournament winner will attempt the move down to bantamweight at UFC 300, the first time she’s competed lower than 145 pounds. While a lot of talk has been about Harrison, Holly Holm still has aspirations of her own.
Appearing on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani earlier today, Holly Holm discussed the fight announcement. There, she opened up on the fight with Kayla Harrison, and how it came together. For Holm, accepting the bout was an easy decision, because it can lead to the title.
In the interview with Helwani, Holly Holm admitted that was her main focus. As far as the 42-year-old is concerned, she only cares about fighting for championships. In her view, a win over Kayla Harrison will get her to the newly crowned champion, Raquel Pennington.
(via Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Holly Holm targeting title shot with UFC 300 win over Kayla Harrison
“I hope so,” Holly Holm answered Ariel Helwani’s question on whether a title shot would come with a win over Kayla Harrison. “Winning a fight big like that, there’s a lot [that goes into it]. I fought for the belt more than once, so a lot of people they think about what the anticipation is. They want to see other people fight for the belt, but you also have to put other people in line who deserve to be there. There’s a reason why I’ve been up there and stayed in the rankings, top five, for a long time.”
She continued, “My goal is always to get to the belt. If I’m not fighting for the belt, I don’t want to be fighting at all. If I don’t have some kind of path to the belt, I really don’t want to do it. I’m not just fighting for a payday, I’m not just fighting for fun, it’s the goal in mind. So, yeah, that’s always it. It really stinks when you have a loss because it takes you a step away from it, rather than a step closer.”
“I do think this is a fight that can be closer to the belt,” Holly Holm concluded speaking about her UFC 300 bout against Kayla Harrison. “So, we’re going to make it work. Make it happen.”
Holly Holm vs. Kayla Harrison is just one of many bouts already announced for the UFC 300 card. The milestone event currently lacks a main event, but features other matchups such as Max Holloway vs. Justin Gaethje and Weili Zhang vs. Yan Xiaonan.
What do you make of these comments? Are you excited about Holly Holm vs. Kayla Harrison? Who do you have in that UFC 300 clash?
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
Topics:
Holly Holm Kayla Harrison UFC
