There are few people alive who were able to watch Saturday night’s Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor fight with a perspective like Holly Holm’s.
Holm isn’t the only fighter ever to compete in both boxing and mixed martial arts, but she’s the crossover competitor with the highest level of achievement in both pursuits.
The JacksonWink fight from Albuquerque was a three weight-class world boxing champ before switching over to MMA, where she famously won the UFC bantamweight title with a head-kick knockout of Ronda Rousey at UFC 193.
So when Holm says that referee Robert Byrd stepped in a bit too soon when he waved off the fight at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena in the 10th round and awarded Mayweather a technical knockout, her words carry more weight than most.
“You don’t see McGregor arguing it was stopped, but I thought though the ref jumped in a little early, yeah,” Holm said on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “It’s not like he was out on his feet or about to get knocked out, or something like that. He wasn’t going in there to counter or anything. It was definitely an early stoppage for sure.”
But that’s about the only critique you’ll get from Holm on a night in that most agree was a win-win for all involved. Holm is a little tired of the endless bickering between boxing and mixed martial arts, and as such, was glad to see the evening play out in a manner in which it did, with Mayweather earning his 50-0 and McGregor becoming a bigger star than ever before.
“I’m kind of glad it came together like that because I’ve always been a fan of both, obviously,” Holm said. “It’s like, there’s that battle between boxing and MMA and I’m like, no, boxers are into boxing because that’s what they’re passionate about. And MMA fighters are into MMA because that’s what they’re passionate about. That’s the only thing. I don’t know why there’s always this kind of fight about it.”
“I love fighting, no matter what it is,” Holm continued. “I just love to watch it. So, its one of those things that there’s a little more respect from both sides, and, it was so worldwide watched that that feeling spread across the world and just appreciate and respect the sport as a whole. It’s an art, no matter what type it is, boxing or MMA.”
Holm also appreciates how much both McGregor and Mayweather had at stake on the evening.
“How can you not respect it?” Holm asked. They both put everything on the line. McGregor walked in and said ‘I believe I can do this going against a boxer, a fighter that’s never been beat.’ He’s got the record now. That’s a big thing to take on. ... For Mayweather, anything can happen in a fight, one punch can end it, he’s putting a lot on the line. 50-0 or to lose to an MMA fighter who never boxed before. That’s a lot to put on the line.”
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