Holly Holm Inks New Six-Fight Deal Ahead of UFC on ESPN 43 Bout

Holly Holm’s tenure with the Ultimate Fighting Championship isn’t ending anytime soon.

The 41-year-old former bantamweight champion signed a new six-fight contract with the Las Vegas-based promotion ahead of her showdown with Yana Santos (formerly Yana Kunitskaya) at UFC on ESPN 43 on Saturday. Holm’s longtime representative, Lenny Fresquez, confirmed the news to the Albuquerque Journal on Tuesday. The deal was reportedly completed in December but wasn’t announced until recently.

“[The UFC] knew Holly had lots of options out there,” Fresquez told the Journal. “She was very sought after and probably could have earned more money elsewhere.

“They love Holly,” he added, “they know she’s one of the faces of the UFC and they wanted her to stay.”

Holm is coming off a controversial split-decision loss to Ketlen Vieira in the UFC Fight Night 206 main event last May. Prior to that, “The Preacher’s Daughter” earned back-to-back decision triumphs over Irene Aldana and Raquel Pennington in 2020.

The Jackson-Wink MMA standout reached a new level of fame when she upset Ronda Rousey to claim the bantamweight title at UFC 193 in November 2015. She lost the belt in her next appearance against Miesha Tate at UFC 196, falling via submission in the fifth round. Since then, Holm has come up short in title bids at featherweight (twice) and bantamweight. According to Fresquez, Holm’s goal remains to become a champion again before her career is over.

“Her mission is to get that gold,” Fresquez said. “She’s one or two fights away from it.”

UFC on ESPN 43 takes place at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas and is headlined by a bantamweight clash pitting Marlon Vera against Cory Sandhagen. Holm vs. Santos is slated for the co-main event.