Holly Holm has her next fight lined up — and it won’t be in MMA.
At Wednesday’s kickoff press conference for the June 28 boxing showdown between Jake Paul and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions closed out the evening with a surprise announcement, revealing that the former UFC bantamweight champion Holly Holm is set to make her in-ring return on the card for the first time in more than a decade against Yolanda Vega.
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The bout will be a 10-round lightweight contest with two-minute rounds.
“I’m excited to partner with Most Valuable Promotions and return to the boxing ring,” Holm said in a Wednesday press release. “This new chapter is going to be an exciting journey, and I’m looking forward to the challenge. Coming full circle back to boxing, I’ve spent most of my MMA career at 135 pounds, and now I have the opportunity to make my boxing debut at that weight. With boxing titles in three higher weight classes under my belt, I’m eager to pursue a fourth title in a new division.”
Holm, 43, retired from professional boxing in 2013 before fully committing to a run in MMA. Renowned as one of the best female boxers of all time, Holm went 33-2-3 (9 KOs) in the sport from 2002-13 and has been inducted into multiple boxing Hall of Fames over the past decade, including the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2017.
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Holm (15-7 MMA) last fought at UFC 300 in April 2024, losing to Kayla Harrison via second-round rear-naked choke, after which she mutually parted ways with UFC this past January. Holm briefly appeared set to continue competing in MMA with the Global Fight League before the promotion canceled its debut event. Holm is best known for capturing the UFC women’s bantamweight title with a stunning upset of Ronda Rousey in 2015.
In January, the former UFC champion told Uncrowned that she sometimes still considered boxing to be an “unfinished business” chapter of her career.
“If I go back, I definitely want to fight those big fights,” Holm said. “But before [I went to MMA], boxing just wasn’t promoted where it’s at now. It was not as viewed as much as it is now. There’s definitely more exposure for women’s boxing [today]. I definitely feel that I had a big part in that to help bring it to where it’s at now. But to be able to go back and make a statement in boxing, it would be awesome.”
Vega, 29, is undefeated in her 10-match pro career. She most recently won a unanimous decision against Rocio Dominguez in September.
Paul vs. Chavez Jr. takes place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. The event is slated to air live on Netflix and features a cavalcade of women’s boxing champions throughout the card.
