Holly Holm’s quest to regain a boxing championship belt took a big hit on Saturday night in Puerto Rico after a questionable decision from the ringside physician to stop her fight against Stephanie Han.
Holm and Han engaged in a spirited fight at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, only to have the action stopped in the 7th round due to a negligible cut caused by an accidental headbutt. While the cut was high on Han’s forehead right in the hairline, the doctor didn’t like how much blood was coming
from it and waved off the fight.
That pushed the fight to the scorecards where Han was awarded the unanimous decision win with 69-65, 69-64, and 68-65 scores. MMA Mania score the fight 68-65 for Han with the champ taking rounds three through seven.
Holm had her best rounds early in the fight but was convinced she could have taken the fight back in the later rounds.
“Not being able to finish it is the hardest part,” Holm said in the ring following the decision. “She had a lot of volume, and I was kind of waiting for those later rounds to kind of take over, and I can’t do that when things happen. I didn’t want it to end like that.”
Holm said she’d love a rematch, and Han said she’d be down.
“I feel like I was more technical, more skilled than her and I was getting the better combinations than her,” the defending WBA women’s champion told BoxingScene backstage. “I would love to rematch Holly. I’m from Texas, she’s from New Mexico, I would love to have it in my city or her city because I know that my people will show up.”
That’s if Katie Taylor’s people don’t call Han looking for an opponent.
“I would love to fight Katie Taylor. Katie Taylor beat my sister Jennifer Han, and I would love to avenge my sister’s loss and fight Katie Taylor. Absolutely. Let’s go. You beat my sister. It’s my time. Let’s go.”
Han was a slight underdog coming into this fight with Holm, but was faster and slicker than “The Preacher’s Daughter,” especially as the fight carried on. It’s hard to see Holm winning a rematch based on what we saw Saturday night, and we have to wonder what’s the point in continuing to fight if she can’t add one more title to her legacy.
At 44 years of age it may finally be time for Holly to hang em up rather than take ten or twenty more rounds of damage.
