Holly Holm will return from the longest layoff of her prestigious combat sport career when she meets Ketlen Vieira in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 206 main event.
That’s not an easy fact to digest for Holm (14-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC), who will compete for the first time since turning 40 with the women’s bantamweight headliner vs. Vieira (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC), which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+.
Holm, a former UFC champion, hasn’t stepped foot in the octagon since putting on one of the most complete performances of her career with a dazzling unanimous decision win over Irene Aldana at UFC on ESPN 16 in October 2020. The more than 19 months without action since then haven’t been by choice. It’s quite the opposite, in fact.
