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Holly Holm Story: From a Preacher's Daughter To A Powerhouse MMA Fighter Who Knocked Out Ronda Rousey

The 34-year-old low profile boxer from Albuquerque, New Mexico became the next big thing after beating the champion MMA fighter Ronda Rousey. Holly Holm, who is known as the preacher's daughter lived a humble life that eventually lead her into becoming the current "UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion."

As per Daily Mail, Holm grew up on Bosque Farms with two of her older brothers and her parents (which are now divorced). Her father, Roger, is a preacher at Edgewood Church of Christ while her mother Tammy Bredy on the other hand is a stay-at-home mom. The Holm family is quite popular when it comes to the churchgoing community as they have always been diligent in attending Sunday Services since she was a child.

She didn't intend to be a kickboxer, but the sport caught her attention while she was on her way to aerobics class. In her personal website, she wrote:

"I started aerobics to keep in shape, saw the [kickboxing] class, thought it looked pretty cool, so I thought I'd try it for one fight and see what it was like."

Mike Winklejohn believed in Holm in which he even wrote that she was a natural at the sport.

"She's got that instinct, when she gets hit, she knows it's time to come back. I wish I could bottle [what she has] and sell it."

Holm started competing in the national amateur kickboxing competitions in Kansas City Missouri in which she won. She made her pro debut in 2002. Holm then made her MMA debut in 2011.

Nobody quite believed in her skills, but she fairly knocked Ronda Rousey out. She was the underdog, as Rousey was already heavily popular in the world of UFC. During their UFC 193 match, Holm shook the world as she took out the world champion with a kick.

Yahoo! Sports then got a statement from Holm expressing how grateful she is of her victory.

"It's pretty incredible, but if someone wants to root for me, I'll take it," she said. "I'll take all the support I can get. Donald Trump isn't one to stay quiet and he'll say what he thinks. Lady Gaga even put out a tweet. To have all these famous people tweeting about it, it's so crazy."

"It's fun. This is what we do and it's why we do it. When I'm training, there is so much on my mind and so much emotion and sometimes I say, 'Why do I make myself do this?' But this is why. Seeing so many people celebrate and enjoy it, that's why we go through everything."


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