Former UFC champion Holly Holm wants to fight Katie Taylor and admits a bout with the Bray Bomber is the only way she would switch back to boxing from MMA.
Eddie Hearn revealed recently that the American is a possible opponent for a potential Dublin homecoming fight for Taylor.
Holm, 40, suffered a controversial defeat to Brazilian Ketlen Vieira at the UFC's Las Vegas Fight Night in the early hours of Sunday morning.
“I felt [Vieira] had Round 2, but at the end of the fight, I truly felt in my heart that I had won the fight,” Holm said afterwards. “So, I’m disappointed. I really don’t give her three rounds.”
And many fans felt that she didn't lose the fight.
One tweeted: "Holly Holm just got robbed.....no doubt about it."
Another said: "Holly Holm just got soooo f***ing robbed what the hell was that?"
Prior to the bout, Holm admitted she wanted to switch back to boxing to face the undisputed lightweight champion.
She said: “I wanna go back in and show what I can do at a whole different weight class. I never even fought at that weight class when I was in boxing. I think I’m bigger and stronger than a lot of the 135ers."
"It’s hard for me to think past my own fight in MMA and my eyes are still on the UFC gold but I will say this: If I was going to go back to boxing that [Katie Taylor] would be the fight that I want and it does intrigue me, a lot."
“There’s a lot of people who’ve tried to transition back and forth and nobody has really been able to do it successfully – that drives me.
“I wanna show people I was able to come to MMA from boxing, but I can also go back. It does get me excited."
Holm fought 38 times as a professional boxer, winning 33 of those fights, drawing three and losing two.
She is a former UFC Women's Bantamweight champion, having defeated Ronda Rousey with a sickening knockout kick for the belt in 2015.
Hearn sees Holm as one of three possible opponents for Taylor at Croke Park, but favours a rematch with Serrano to headline a show at GAA Headquarters.
The Matchroom boss told IFL TV recently: “There are three fights for Katie Taylor next. There is Cris Cyborg, Holly Holm or Amanda Serrano. We’ve had an approach from government level in Ireland, they want to do Croke Park, it would be an incredible moment for Katie Taylor.
“Those three names would be fine to that. I would like to do a Serrano rematch, it should a great fight, and we are talking to Jake Paul and Nakisa (Bidarian from Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions company) about that rematch.
“If we can agree on terms we’d love to go straight into the rematch and create an event that will be remembered even beyond Madison Square Garden."
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