Holly Holm will challenge WBA lightweight champion Stephanie Han in the co-main event of Amanda Serrano vs. Erika Cruz on Jan. 3 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Most Valuable Promotions told ESPN on Wednesday. The fight will be contested under rules equal to men with the bout set for 10, 3-minute rounds.
Holm (34-2-3, 9 KOs) recently ended a 12-year hiatus from boxing by signing with Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions and winning a unanimous decision over Yolanda Vega in June. Prior to her return to the sweet science, Holm had a successful tenure as a mixed martial artist, winning the UFC women's bantamweight title by famously knocking out Ronda Rousey in 2015. But the three weight world champion in boxing and 2022 International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee is chasing another title in boxing at age 44.
"Holly Holm is back challenging for a boxing world title, 12 years after leaving the sport and doing it with MVP," Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, co-founders of MVP, said in a statement. "She is facing a multifaceted athlete in Stephanie Han who is a champion, a mother, and a police officer. And they are doing it with 3-minute rounds like the men."
Holm will certainly have her hands full in only her second boxing match since 2013 with the undefeated Han (11-0, 3 KOs), who won the WBA title in February with a first-round knockout of Hannah Terlep. Fighting out of El Paso, Han, 35, has been dominant since turning pro in 2021, winning all of her fights by knockout or decision. Holm will be the most prolific opponent of Han's career.
"From El Paso to the world stage, now I get to fight Holly Holm, in Puerto Rico next to the island's greatest boxer in Amanda Serrano," Han said in a statement. "Every sacrifice has led to this moment, and I'm grateful and excited for the opportunity. Equal opportunity at that, with 3-minute rounds."
Fighting out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Holm is wasting little time chasing championships despite being out of a boxing ring for over a decade. Holm was sharp in her decision win earlier this year and is aiming to become a champion at 135 pounds after winning titles at welterweight, junior welterweight and junior middleweight.
"I feel great," Holm said in a statement. "I'm excited to have the opportunity to fight for a fourth weight division title and add to my legacy on Saturday, January 3. I'm thankful for MVP and this opportunity and look forward to fighting in Puerto Rico, an island with a deep boxing culture."