It was just the second boxing match for Holly Holm since her return to the sport last year. She stood opposite WBA lightweight champion Stephanie Han in a bid to secure the belt at the age of 44. However, things didn’t quite go the way the former UFC women’s bantamweight champion may have hoped for.

Han secured a unanimous technical decision, defending her world title on Saturday at Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico, after the fight was stopped in the seventh round following an accidental headbutt that opened a cut on Han’s hairline. 

Holly Holm was utterly dominated

MMA journalist Ariel Helwani took to X, sharing a clip from the fight, which showed the severity of Han’s cut. “Holly Holm’s comeback bid to win a title ends unceremoniously as a headbutt leads to this cut, and the fight goes to the scorecards mid-7th. Judges got it right,” he wrote.

The fight saw Stephanie Han deliver a composed, disciplined performance to turn back Holly Holm’s historic bid. After a cautious opening round, Han began taking control in the second by timing Holm’s entries and landing clean straight rights. She neutralized Holm’s southpaw lead hand early, preventing the UFC veteran from establishing her jab or assessing range.

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As the bout progressed, Holly Holm increasingly relied on lunging left hands, but Han’s sharper accuracy and timing allowed her to score consistently while avoiding prolonged exchanges. However, in the seventh round, disaster struck for the MMA great when she clashed heads with the champion, leading to a nasty cut on Han’s forehead. Immediately, the bout was brought to an end by the ring-side doctor. Since the fight was already past the halfway point, it went straight to the scorecards rather than ending in a no-contest. In the end, the judges scored the fight 69-65, 69-64, and 68-65, all in Han’s favor. 

Holly Holm’s comeback bid to win a title ends unceremoniously as a headbutt leads to this cut and the fight goes to the scorecards mid-7th. Judges got it right. pic.twitter.com/qeP2n7TQ1I

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) January 4, 2026

Holm was attempting to become the first boxer to win a title after being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. The last time Holm held a boxing title was all the way back in 2013, which she vacated to try her luck in mixed martial arts.

Han, before the fight, had claimed she became Holm’s fan after the latter knocked out Ronda Rousey. And today, she got to defeat one of her heroes in what is the biggest victory of her career. Regardless, since the fight, social media has lit up with calls for Holm to hang up her gloves because of what people are calling a lackluster performance. 

Stephanie Han was never in any danger

The stoppage due to the headbutt didn’t seem to bother this fan. The user wrote, “She wasn’t going to win the fight even [if] it went the distance. She was being countered every single time she threw. The fight wasn’t close, and Han easily had the fight in the bag. I have zero interest in watching them fight again.” In the post-fight interview, Holm had claimed she was waiting for the latter rounds to make a comeback. 

Another user gave zero chances to Holm of recovering in the fight. The user commented, “She wouldn’t [have] won anyways.” Despite what fans think, Holly Holm has claimed she wants a rematch to avenge her loss. 

A third user chimed in, asking Holly Holm to retire. The user wrote, “Time to retire, she’s 44..” If Holm were going to retire, she wouldn’t have come back to boxing after her spectacular career in MMA. 

Someone else felt that Han’s injury wasn’t all that bad. The user claimed, “Ahhhhhh, it’s just a scratch🤦🏾‍♂️Han was running away with that fight anyways🤷🏾‍♂️.” Han’s hairline cut is not often considered a dangerous area for an injury such as that, but the referee might have seen more than what the footage shows. 

The next user blamed Holm for intentionally headbutting Han. “Han won that fight. Holly can’t do s—t, then headbutt Han,” the user wrote. However, headbutts are commonplace in boxing, and it’s not often intentional.

That being said, Holly Holm has hit a roadblock in her path to a title after her comeback. The public clearly feels there’s no need for a rematch, but the sport doesn’t always follow what the public thinks. What do you think ?