Holly Holm: ‘I think I just need to believe in myself a little more’

Following her loss to Valentina Shevchenko on Saturday night, Holly Holm is now on a two-fight losing streak after being the champion of the UFC women’s bantamweight division.

Holm spoke with the media in the post-fight press conference following her loss and says that she knows she is capable of performing better than how she did against Shevchenko.

“(I have to) just get back in there and go forward,” Holm said (transcribed by MMAjunkie). “I know I’m capable of more. I think I just need to believe in myself a little more. I know I can do more than what I performed like tonight. Valentina is really tough. We know that. We knew everything – counter-punching, clinch, trips, all that … it’s not like I haven’t been taught the right things. It all comes down to my performance, and it wasn’t great tonight.”

“I do believe in myself. I always believe in myself, otherwise I wouldn’t get in there. I believe I can do it. I think I just need to know that I’m learning and I need to perform with it. It’s there. The tools are there. I just need to do the right things.”

Holm is well aware of the fierce competition in the UFC and says that she has never taken her preparation and training lightly after reaching the top.

“I’ve never in my career, be it boxing or MMA, felt like I’m at the top because I know there’s always someone else aspiring to be the best,” she said. “When I first came into MMA, I wanted to have titles in both. I had drive behind me. I still do. I never look at the division and think I made it to the top and I’m just going to stay there. There’s always somebody hungry, there’s always someone getting better. That’s why people love to watch fighting – you never know what’s going to happen. It’s really unpredictable.”