When the UFC announced that it was finally creating a women’s featherweight division, many assumed that one of the two women that would fight for the inaugural would be Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino, but instead the two women fighting for the gold are Germaine De Randamie and Holly Holm. Holm, a former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion, has an opportunity to become the first woman to hold gold in two different weight division in the UFC, that and becoming the champion was an opportunity she couldn’t turn down.
“I guess I thought that it could be a step that would happen,” Holm told MMA Junkie. “I just didn’t think I would be involved in it. I thought I would still be at the 135 (division). But gosh, this opportunity is right in front of me. How do you not take it?”
Holm can become the first ever UFC Women’s Featherweight Champion, but a return to the women’s bantamweight division may happen at some point in the future as well.
“You know, this is the fight that’s in front of me, and this is what I’m focused on,” she said. “How awesome to be able to fight for a new division and to be able to fight for the belt? Two belts, two different weight classes. That’s awesome. My goal obviously – who wants to gain a belt and then lose it? So (losing the 135-pound title) is definitely a sore spot for me, so I want to be able to fight for the 135-pound belt, as well, but that’s not something I’m of right now because I have this other opportunity in front of me.”
UFC 208 takes place on Saturday, February 11 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York with no main event announced at this time.
