Photo by David Becker/WireImage
By now, most mixed martial arts (MMA) fans are aware that former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s bantamweight champion, Holly Holm, is injured and unable to compete at the UFC 243 pay-per-view (PPV) event this weekend in Melbourne.
Now we know why.
“The Preacher’s Daughter” suffered a tendon injury that affected her hamstring and while it won’t require surgery, Holm will need some extra time on the sidelines before the promotion can rebook her Raquel Pennington rematch.
“I don’t know the scientific terms, but the tendon that attaches my hamstring to my bone, I tore 30 percent of it last week in training,” Holm said on Instagram. “The good news is, I don’t need surgery, but one week’s time is just not enough time for me to be ready to fight. So I’ll be rehabbing it and be back at it soon and I’ll let you guys know when the fight is rescheduled. Thanks again for all the love.”
It’s been a rough couple of years for Holm (12-5), who is a dreadful 2-5 since capturing the crown from Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 back in late 2015. That includes her technical knockout loss to current champion, Amanda Nunes, at UFC 239 last July.
The “Rocky” rematch was a do-over from Holm’s Octagon debut at UFC 184, which ended by way of close split decision in favor of “The Preacher’s Daughter.” Pennington (10-7) was last seen taking a decision over the hot-and-cold Irena Aldana last summer.