Holly Holm Is Back For One More Title Fight

Holly Holm, former boxing and UFC champion and one of the world’s most dominant two-sport athletes in combat sports history will return to seek a boxing world title in her fourth weight division on January 3, 2026.

Known as “The Preacher’s Daughter,” Holm of Albuquerque, New Mexico (34-2-3, 9 KOs) will take on WBA World Lightweight champion Stephanie Han of El Paso, Texas (11-0, 3 KOs) in a 10-round bout.

Han vs Holm will serve as the co-main event,contested under equal rules to men with three-minute rounds, on the undercard of the Amanda Serrano vs Erika Cruz title fight in a historic statement for women’s boxing. Tickets for the Most Valuable Promotions card in San Juan, Puerto Rico are now on sale at at prticket.com.

Hard-Hitting Han Looks To Remain Undefeated

Stephanie Han turned things around after a knockdown to defend her title and set up a fight with Holly Holm. Photo: Joseph Correa, Most Valuable Promotions

Stephanie Han is a proud Korean-American and El Paso, Texas native. She has elevated her boxing career to new heights while juggling her role as mother of two, including her special needs daughter with Nicolaides-Baraitser Syndrome, and as an eight-year veteran of the El Paso Police Department.

Han began her amateur boxing career in 2006. She compiled a winning record before stepping away from the sport in 2011. Ten years later, boxing called her back to help her sister, former IBF featherweight world champion Jennifer Han, train to take on Katie Taylor.

Stephanie Han returned in her first professional fight in October 2021. Han rose through the rankings, delivering a knockout victory over Hannah Terlep to claim the vacant WBA lightweight world title.

In her debut with Most Valuable Promotions in August, Han defended her title against Paulina Angel of Colombia. Han plans to continue establishing herself as one of the premier forces in women’s lightweight boxing.

“From El Paso to the world stage! Now I get to fight Holly Holm in Puerto Rico next to the island’s greatest boxer in Amanda Serrano,” said Han.

“Every sacrifice has led to this moment, and I’m grateful and excited for the opportunity. Equal opportunity at that, with three-minute rounds.”

Boxing Isn’t Done With Holly Holm

Veteran champion Holly Holm makes her return to boxing after a solid run in MMA. Photo: Esther Lin, Most Valuable Promotions

Holm is widely regarded as a pioneer in women’s boxing and a trailblazer in MMA. Holm is the only fighter to hold world titles in both disciplines, cementing her legacy as a generational talent and global icon.

Holm won the IKF national amateur championship title in 2001 before making her pro boxing debut in January 2002, winning by TKO. Holm won her first title, the IBA World Super Lightweight crown, in December 2004.

After three title defenses, she moved up to the welterweight division, winning the WBA World Welterweight title in June 2006. In June 2008, Holm stepped up to super welterweight to win the IBA and WBAN super welterweight titles.

Holm was defeated by Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Anne Sophie Mathis in 2011 for the vacant IBA female and WBAN welterweight titles. Holm avenged that loss in a rematch with Mathis by decision victory to add the WBF, IBA, and WBAN titles.

Holm moved back down to the super lightweight division to win the vacant WBF and IBA titles, and successfully defended them in May 2013 against Mary McGee.

Holly Holm Shocks The World With Win Over Ronda Rousey

Holm then pivoted into MMA in 2014, signing a multifight deal with the UFC. Holm made headlines worldwide with her victory over then-undefeated bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey in November 2015, the most highly attended UFC event in history at the time.

Rousey was the overwhelming favorite going into the bout, but Holm leveraged her southpaw stance and boxing skill to control the opening round before landing a sensational knockout in the second round, handing Rousey her first loss. Holm became the first person to win championships in both boxing and MMA. If you need a reminder, see the highlights.

Holm is currently ranked BoxRec’s second greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time. Holm decided to return to boxing, signing with MVP in May 2025.  She handed undefeated Yolanda Vega her first loss with a unanimous decision on the Jake Paul vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. card in June 2025.

Holm Returns In Quest For History

Holm will now make her 24th world title fight appearance, almost 13 years after her last title reign, as she contends for the WBA lightweight title against Han.

“I feel great,” said Holm. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to fight for a fourth weight division title and add to my legacy on Saturday, January 3. I’m thankful for MVP and this opportunity and look forward to fighting in Puerto Rico, an island with a deep boxing culture.”

“Holly Holm is back challenging for a boxing world title, 12 years after leaving the sport and doing it with MVP,” said Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, co-founders of MVP. “She is facing a multi-faceted athlete in Stephanie Han, who is a champion, a mother, and a police officer. And they are doing it with three-minute rounds like the men.”

Undercard Fights Added To Jan. 3 Card

Joining the historic card are some of the top Puerto Rican contenders and prospects.

Rivera vs González

MVP’s Puerto Rican Olympian and WBA #1 and WBC #6 contender Yankiel “El Doctorcito” Rivera (7-0-1, 3 KOs) will face former WBO world champion Jonathan “Bomba” González (28-4-1, 14 KOs) in a 10-round flyweight showdown.

Rivera, a 28-year-old sensation from Toa Alta, Puerto Rico, has rapidly become one of the island’s brightest stars, holding the WBA Continental, WBC Silver, and WBO Intercontinental flyweight titles at 112 lbs. A 2020 Olympian and five-time Puerto Rican national champion, Rivera has impressed with his speed, precision, and composure, most recently earning a majority draw against Angelino Cordova.

Facing him on Saturday, January 3, is González, a Caguas, Puerto Rico resident and former WBO light flyweight world champion, who has represented Puerto Rico on the world stage since turning professional in 2011 after a decorated amateur career that included gold medals at the 2008 Youth World Championships and 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games.

“Although fighting a fellow countryman is not something I especially enjoy, this is my profession. I will fight anyone, anywhere until I reach my goal,” said Rivera. “Bomba is a great fighter with great boxing capabilities. The fact that he is a former world champion says it all. But he simply will not be able to stop me from my goal.” Rivera says he is elated to have the opportunity to fight at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum. “All the all-time greats have fought there, and being able to fight there is always an honor.”

Rivera vs Cruz

MVP’s featherweight contender Jan Paul Rivera (13-0, 7 KOs) takes on San Juan native Alfredo “El Salsero” Cruz (10-3-1, 5 KOs) in an eight-round bout.

Rivera, the 24-year-old sensation from Salinas, Puerto Rico, was a decorated member of the Puerto Rican National Boxing Team with 200 amateur bouts and earning two consecutive Puerto Rico Elite National Championships in 2020 and 2021, along with a silver medal at the 2018 AIBA Youth World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Since turning professional, Rivera has quickly risen through the ranks, displaying exceptional technical skill, power, and composure while remaining undefeated across fights in the United States, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Colombia.

His opponent, 28-year-old Alfredo “El Salsero” Cruz, is a San Juan, Puerto Rico native, who comes to the ring after taking a unanimous decision win over Carlos Arrieta-Torres in October 2025.

“I am very happy to be fighting again in Puerto Rico,” said Rivera. “In this fight, as in past fights, we will prepare to put on a great show and take the victory by any means necessary. We are very grateful to everyone involved in this great event.”

Additional Undercard Fights

Undefeated super featherweight Henry “Moncho” Lebron (20-0, 10 KOs) faces Juan “Johnny Blaze” Tapia (14-4, 5 KOs) in an eight-round contest, and Aguada’s rising talent Chris “The Punisher” Echevarria (9-1, 4 KOs) fights Gabriel Bernardi (7-3, 5 KOs) in a six-round super bantamweight bout.

Also on the card will be Amanda Serrano’s protege, 23-year-old Krystal Rosado (7-1, 2 KOs), with an opponent to be named later. Rosado, ranked in the top ten by all sanctioning organizations, will look to bounce back from a loss to former bantamweight world champion Shurretta Metcalf on Most Valuable Prospects 16 in October.

In the main event, boxing trailblazer and unified featherweight world champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (47-4-1, 31 KOs) makes her long-awaited return in front of her home Puerto Rican fans in a unified WBA and WBO world title defense against WBO contender Erika “Dinamita” Cruz of Mexico (18-2-1, 4 KOs).

The 10-round rematch will be contested under equal rules to men with three-minute rounds, as Serrano makes her latest statement for equality in women’s boxing alongside Cruz.