Holly Holm's fall from grace was as quick as her rise to the top of women's MMA, and now she'll be on the shelf for several weeks with thumb surgery.
The thumb surgery comes after Holm's loss to Valentina Shevchenko in July, her second straight loss after her career-defining knockout win over Ronda Rousey last year.
Holm recently spoke to KOB4 in Albuquerque and admitted that her recent fights may have affected in more ways than one.
“Yeah, I was pushing pretty hard through the last couple fights,” Holm said. “Maybe that took a toll on me, not just physically but mentally."
Holm's manager Lenny Fresquez said that a break from the octagon will do good things for her, as it will allow her to refocus and recuperate. After a hot potato situation involving the UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship, this could prove to be vital.
“I think everything happens for a reason,” Fresquez stated. “I think Holly needed a little bit of a break. Her knee had been acting up a little bit. I think it's a blessing in disguise, so it's going to give her body time to recover.”
Because the recovery would take only 6 weeks, Holm could still book a fight later towards the end of the year, but it's not a guarantee that she will. Holm dropped to No. 4 in the UFC women's bantamweight rankings after most recent defeat.
