Holly Holm will take on Cris “Cyborg” Justino at UFC 219, according to Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times.
Cyborg will defend her recently acquired women’s featherweight title in what will likely be the pay-per-view’s main event. Holm lost her first chance at this belt in the inaugural title fight against Germaine de Randamie at UFC 208.
The loss was Holm’s third straight after defeating Ronda Rousey in a surprising knockout in 2015, although she was able to bounce back with a win over Bethe Correia in June.
Meanwhile, her upcoming opponent has an 18-1 career MMA record (plus one no contest), with her only loss coming in her professional debut. Cyborg knocked out Tonya Evinger at UFC 214 to earn the featherweight title, making the upcoming bout her first defense.
This bout has been widely speculated upon for some time, with the two competitors battling on social media. Justino questioned whether Holm has seen as many drug tests as her, followed by a video response from Holm.
Holm’s agent, Lenny Fresquez, then said the potential matchup was dead when the two sides “could not come to financial terms,” via Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting.
However, fans will finally get a chance to see these popular competitors on Dec. 30 in Las Vegas for UFC 219. Jimmie Rivera vs. Dominick Cruz had previously been the top bout on the card for the PPV.
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