Holly Holm: ‘I’m going to focus on some other things that I need to take care of outside of the fighting world’

“The Preacher’s Daughter” skyrocketed to stardom in November when she knocked out the seemingly invincible Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 to become the first athlete in combat sports to win a world boxing title and MMA title.

Following her giant win over Rousey, Holm lost the belt in her title fight against Miesha Tate in the fifth round, ending her short stint as the UFC women’s bantamweight champion. Holm then lost for the second time in a row since becoming the UFC champion against Valentina Shevchenko by decision.

Holm has since had surgery to repair an injured thumb and spoke with KOB4 about her status.

“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.”

While Holm’s statement leaves some uncertainty about her future fighting, Holm’s manager Lenny Fresquez added that the former champ probably just needs time to recover.

“I think everything happens for a reason,” said 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.”