Han defeats Holm with some Texas home cooking

By Scott Shaffer

31/05/2026

Han defeats Holm with some Texas home cooking

Stephanie Han W10 Holly Holm... Fighting in her hometown of El Paso, Texas, WBA lightweight champion Stephanie Han won a controversial decision over combat sports legend Holly Holm. The ESPN telecast credited Holm with a 107-70 edge in punches landed, and the broadcast team also thought Holm should have won. But when the scorecards were announced, Han received a majority decision. One judge scored it even at 95-95, but the other two saw it in Han's favor, 96-94. Han rocked Holm in the second round and landed the sharper right hands throughout, though she fought through a cut under her eye while Holm pressed forward and had her own strong moments. This was an immediate rematch, with Han clearly winning the first fight, but Holm appearing to make all the adjustments needed to reverse that result. The judges did not agree.
 
MVP PROMOTIONS' ROUND-BY-ROUND SUMMARY
 
ROUND 1 --The two meet in the center. Han landed a left. The two feeling each other out. Han landing a couple of right hands. Holm with a right. Holm with another right. Han lands a left. Han comes forward with a combination. A couple of combinations from Holm.  Han with a left hand. Han flashing her right hand. Han connecting to the stomach. Holm fires a left hand. Han with a left hand, but it’s blocked. Holm circling, and she’s trying to get Han to come forward. Han comes in with a combination before the bell.
 
ROUND 2 -- Han flashing the left hand. Both now flashing the jab. Holm lands the left. Combinations for both women. Han taking to the center, trying to flash the left hand. Holm connects on a right hand, and it seemed to stumble Han a bit. Han with another left hand. Both women connect now. Han with a big right hand on Holm. Han appears to be a cut under her right eye. Right hand and a left from Han. Han lands a solid left in an exchange. Holm looks hurt and looks to clinch up. Both fire off a left hand. Holm with a combination. Han with a right hand before the bell.
 
ROUND 3 -- Holm with a small combination. Holm circling to the right. Han lands with her left hand. Both connect, with Han following up with a combination. Han landing another solid combination. Left hand by Han. The two exchanging. Holm opening up more, leading with the hook. Han landing a one-two. Han with a series of left hands. Combination by Holm. Holm with a left. Han fires off a right. Holm with another left hand. Holm lands a left.
 
ROUND 4 -- Han landing with a left. Left and by both women. Holm moving around on the outside. Holm landing with the left hand. Holm lands with the left. Another couple of shots land for Holm. Downstairs and upstairs with the right hand goes Han. Han with the straight as Holm tries to work the right hand. Right hand by Holm. Left hand by Han. Han with a combination. We get a brief clinch. Left hand by Han. Both miss with the left. Holm with the combination. Han’s cut appears to be opened again.
 
ROUND 5 -- Double jab from Holm. Han with the right hand. Holm staying to the right as she moves around. Holm comes rushing in, landing punches on the inside. Referee gives warnings for the clinching. Han lands a left hand as she tries to come in. Right hand by Han. Left hand by Han. Right hand by Han, then more right hands, and Holm tries to come inside again. Left hand by Han. Holm lands a combination. Holm with a right hand. Han lands the straight to the body. Holm lands on the chin. Both connecting now. One-two by Holm, and Han responds in kind. Holm responds with a combination.
 
ROUND 6 -- Han with a couple of shots. Holm tries to work the jab. Han with a right hand, and Holm comes in with a combination. A combination by Holm. Han with a left hand. Both flashing their jabs. Right hand by Han. Holm with a left hand. Han with a left hand. Combinations from both women. Right hand by Han. Left hand by Holm. Left hand by Han. Holm has some swelling over one of her eyebrows. Holm comes in, and Han lands a solid counter to catch her. Han with a three-punch combination, though Holm gets Han to the ropes before the bell.
 
ROUND 7 -- Combination to the body by Han. Holm lands a left to the body. Han landing to the body. Han fires off straight punches. Holm still bouncing on the outside. Han landing with the right hand, but Holm catches Han with a left. Left hand by Han. Right hands by Han. Left hand by Holm. We get another clinch. Left hand by Han. Holm looking for the hook, but Han ties her up. Left hand by Han. Right hand by Han. The two exchanging before the bell. Right hand lands for Holm.
 
ROUND 8 -- Holm with a one-two. Han comes in with a combination. Holm with a right hand. Holm with a couple of right hands and a left. Right hand by Han. Han fires off the left. Combinations from both women. Holm with another combination. Holm landing with a combination. Han connects upstairs. Han with a right hand. Holm goes back in and we get another separation. A couple of right hands land for Holm. Holm getting the better of Han in an exchange. Another combination from Holm, coming in.
 
ROUND 9 -- Both connect with an outside shot. Han flashing her left hand. Right hand lands for Han. Combination by Han. Han with a left hand. Holm with an uppercut. Holm with a combination. Another tie up. One-two by Holm. Right hand by Han, who keeps moving around and we have another tie up. Holm with a solid right. Han responds with a solid shot of her own. Han with a left hand. Holm pressing forward and we have another tie up. Holm with a jab. Han with a jab. Holm with a right hand. Holm with a left. Han with a left.
 
ROUND 10 --Han with a left hand. Han flashing the left hand. Holm firing off a flurry of shots, pressuring Han. Holm with a right hand. Han with a right hand. Holm with a right. Han with a hook. Another clinch. Left hand by Han. Holm with a right hand. Han lands a right that backs Holm up a bit. Han with a left hand. Han trying to close the distance, but she doesn’t do anything with it here. Left hand by Han. Holm landing with the right. Han with the left. One-two by Han. Han with the left. Holm connects with a solid left. Holm pressures. Han with the right hand. Holm with the left.
 
OFFICIAL RESULT -- Stephanie Han def. Holly Holm via majority decision (95-95 and 96-94 twice)