Holm looks to get back on track against Shevchenko
— -- When talking to former UFC women's bantamweight champion Holly Holm, it's hard not to respect her no-nonsense spirit.
Holm, also a former decorated boxing champion, is a fighter through and through, and one who is much more motivated by winning titles and fulfilling her potential than by money or fame. So any hope of asking Holm (10-1) to look past Saturday's opponent and entertain the idea of big-name opponents down the road would be futile.
Four months after losing her 135-pound title by fifth-round submission to Miesha Tate, Holm looks to rebound in the main event of Saturday's UFC Fight Night card in Chicago (8 p.m. ET, FOX) against Valentina Shevchenko (12-2).
"My motivation is victory against Valentina -- if I don't win this fight, then what?" Holm said. "A lot of people ask me, 'Do you want to fight for the belt against [Amanda] Nunes or do you want to fight Miesha?' Well, actually, I'm just focused on one fighter, and that's Valentina. If I don't get through her, there's never another opportunity promised."
Holm, 34, knows all too well the chaos that exists within her division, with four fighters having worn the belt in the past nine months alone following a series of upsets. Ronda Rousey lost the title when she was knocked out in November by Holm, who went on to lose to Tate in her first defense. Two weeks ago at UFC 200, Tate lost in her first defense, falling to the upstart Nunes.
Holm spoke to ESPN.com about a number of topics entering her return Saturday.
You already proved in boxing you can bounce back from a devastating defeat and gain redemption. But how hard was it to accept the Tate loss, considering the dramatic finish and what was at stake?
I think it's just different. I can never really compare two fights or two losses. They have their own feel. They are very different losses. Both of them ended in stoppage -- the last one I had [in boxing] was a complete knockout, and this one she choked me out. I definitely want to come back strong and come back hard. It's one of those things where I can only tell people so much that I believe in myself, but I have to show that. I have to show that I improved and have learned from my loss. That's a test for me. I want to make my coaches proud, considering the time they put into my training. I think my main motivation coming back from this loss is to perform what I know I'm capable of. I was taught a lot of things to do very differently in those situations, and I didn't act upon it at the time. I just don't want to let my coaches down. I want to do better for them, really.
In terms of how your styles complement each other, what is this fight with Shevchenko going to look like inside the cage?
I never really like to look too far into that, because I don't want to get too set on how I think something is going to be. If it doesn't turn out that way I want to be ready for the alternative. I'm ready to handle whatever she has coming. We've seen her with her standup, we've seen her with her clinch game, with takedowns and on the ground. I don't expect her to just be fighting one way. I think she's going to be ready for any of it.
The UFC women's bantamweight title has changed hands three times in the past nine months. What do you think that says about the division, either positively or negatively?
The negative part to me is that I let it go. Positively, I feel like it just shows that this division is one of the most competitive divisions there is. It creates a lot of curiosity, and it keeps the entire division very motivated to keep getting better because they know the competition is tough. In turn, that's going to show really good fights, and the girls are going to get better, and the sport will continue to grow as a whole. But, shoot, I wish it wasn't on its fourth champion. I wish it was still on its second.
What were your expectations coming in as to how the Nunes-Tate fight was going to play out at UFC 200?
A lot of people asked me what I thought would happen in that fight, and I said that if Amanda wins, it would be in Round 1 or 2, and it would be Miesha who wins if it went past that. I didn't really put too much thought into it.
What type of staying power do you believe Nunes will have atop the division?
I've always said that anybody is beatable, and I think that with the belt changing hands so many times it has proven that to be true. I wish the belt wasn't passed down from me, but anybody is beatable. [Nunes] can be beat, and anybody in the division is capable of it. If you would have looked back one year ago and imagined how the division would be, you wouldn't have thought the belt would have changed hands three times already. It has been a crazy year for our division. Amanda could hold onto it and is very capable of it, but she can be beat. I don't ever really think that anything is a certainty, and that's what makes fighting fun to watch.
You were criticized by Dana White for taking the Tate fight instead of waiting on Rousey. A few months later, the UFC asked Tate to do essentially the same thing by fighting Nunes. Were you hurt by how that played out?
Well, I think it's a good thing I didn't wait for the Ronda fight, because I'd still be waiting. Would I have my belt still if I was waiting? I mean, yeah, but what kind of champion is that who sits on the bench? I'm glad I took the fight with Tate. That's what I wanted to do. I didn't get into this to just walk around with a shiny belt and polish it. I wanted to get in there to fight. That's why I started doing this sport. When you start fighting, you don't really even make money in the beginning. If you're doing it in the amateurs, you are just doing it for passion. I like to stay true to that. Again, it's a good thing I didn't wait for Ronda, because I'd still be waiting. There are a lot of fighters in this division, and it's not just about one fighter.
In some ways, your name will forever be linked with Rousey because of that fight. What are your thoughts on whether she will ever return and be the same fighter again?
I don't worry about it -- at all. I think any fighter should do whatever they are passionate about. If she's not passionate about fighting right now, then I don't want to see her fight. I don't want to see any fighter fight if they aren't into it. Who wants to see that? I want to see two fighters who are hungry. I want to see them get in there and do it. I don't want to see anyone fight just because everyone else thinks they should. If she wants to? Great. And if she doesn't? Do what you want to do. It's your own life.
What's the one thing you learned from the loss to Tate that will help you the most moving forward?
I just hate to lose. I hate to lose. I hate it. That is it. I don't care how I lost, it doesn't matter. It all sucks that bad. I hate to lose, and that is my motivation all the time, even if I wasn't coming off of a loss. I'm motivated to go in there and win every time.
If you defeat Shevchenko on Saturday, who is most deserving of the next shot at Nunes' title?
I guess I'm just not even letting myself think that way. I'm just going to focus on this fight. I don't want to do anything to look past it. We will see what happens.
What's the biggest thing you are looking to prove to yourself with this fight?
For me, I always want to show a better and improved me. That means all of my time in the gym is not a waste. I want to make my hard work worth it and all of the sacrifices that my coaches have made for me. That is really it.
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