Holly Holm is set to face Mayra Bueno Silva in a bantamweight main event to potentially work her way back to another title shot.
Holly Holm is working towards securing another title shot and is set to face Mayra Bueno Silva in a bantamweight main event of the UFC’s July 15th card. Bueno Silva was originally scheduled to face Miesha Tate at UFC Vegas 74 later this month, but due to a hand injury, Tate had to withdraw from the bout. As a result, the UFC booked Bueno Silva against Holm.
Former UFC bantamweight champion and boxing Hall of Famer, Holm has experienced an up-and-down run since losing the title, including a failed move up to featherweight and a loss in her return title shot back down at 135 pounds. Recently, the 41-year-old secured a unanimous decision win over Yana Santos at UFC San Antonio, maintaining her position as the No. 3 bantamweight in the UFC’s rankings.
On the other hand, Bueno Silva has enjoyed success since moving back up to bantamweight in the previous year. She has secured three consecutive wins in the division, with her last two being finishes. Currently ranked as the No. 10 bantamweight, Bueno Silva now has a chance to stake her claim for a title shot at 135 pounds. Other fights announced for the card include a welterweight matchup between Vicente Luque and Rafael dos Anjos, a heavyweight bout between Walt Harris and Josh Parisian, a women’s featherweight clash between Norma Dumont and Chelsea Chandler, and another women’s bantamweight contest between Ashlee Evans-Smith and Ailin Perez.