Issue 103
July 2013
TOP-RANKED WOMEN’S BOXER HOLLY HOLM RETIRES TO PURSUE MMA
Number-one rated female boxer, and 3-0 mixed martial artist, Holly Holm will become a full-time MMA fighter after retiring from boxing following her final boxing contest in May.
Trained by Mike Winkeljohn, the co-mastermind coach alongside Greg Jackson at Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA in New Mexico, 31-year-old Holm has won boxing titles in three weight divisions. She last fought in the cage for Bellator at 135lb in February, the same limit as UFC queen Ronda Rousey.
Tipped as a future boxing Hall of Famer, Holm’s switch has come as a surprise to the boxing world, but explained she “wanted to fight where her passion is.”
Stated Holm: “When we were deciding which way to go with my future, my trainer, Mike Winkeljohn, said it best, ‘You want to climb a new mountain.’ This thing (MMA) has created a new spark in me and I’m following my heart.”
Holm’s promoter Lenny Fresquez said: “My job is to get her prepared to take down Ronda Rousey. ... I’ll depend a lot on (Mike Winkeljohn) on that front, but I kind of know the path that we’re going. Within four or five fights’ time, we’ll be challenging Ronda Rousey.”
BACKTALK
GREG JACKSON (Award-winning coach): “It is exciting to work with her. Mr Winkeljohn has done such an amazing job with her. All the credit goes to him for her boxing. He’s been working with her, I think, she was 16, something like that. ... Working with Holly is a lot of fun because I see a lot of Mr Winkeljohn in Holly. She’s honest, she’s tough as nails, she’s super competitive but has such a great heart.”
WHAT'S HOT
FIGHTERS ONLY CLOTHING
All the marquee names are wearing it
TEAM ALPHA MALE
Little guys, big results
BOXERS GOING MMA
Multi-time champion Andre Berto’s considering it too
WHAT'S NOT
BOOING HENDERSON’S MARRIAGE PROPOSAL
What’s wrong with you, San Jose?
DYLAN ANDREWS’ BEARD
We love you, Dylan, but there’s just something else about your face fuzz
BACKSEAT DRIVERS
Referees are only human
SONNEN SEEKING BAD BLOOD BOUT WITH WANDERLEI
Multi-time UFC title contender Chael Sonnen has called out foe Wanderlei Silva for a light.heavyweight encounter after several years of verbal sparring. Speaking on TV show UFC Tonight, Sonnen, who recently lost his challenge for the UFC 205lb title against Jon Jones, remarked: “Wanderlei called me out before, but the fight never made sense. Now it does.” The silver-tongued wrestler added that despite speculation, he will not be retiring until he and Wanderlei square off.
“Wanderlei pulled a dirt bag move on me one time,” Sonnen explained. “He said something to me that I couldn’t hear, and then put it on YouTube with subtitles because he knew I couldn’t understand it and called me out. If you’re a fighter, that doesn’t fly.”
Fighters Only understands the bout, if booked, will take place on one of the UFC’s larger summer fight cards.
$105
Jon Jones’ signature Nike shoe is retailing for around $105.
100%
UFC president Dana White says he’s 100% cured of his equilibrium-troubling Meniere’s Disease thanks to a radical blood therapy he underwent recently in Germany.
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