The UFC is quickly running out of viable challengers for women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, as the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist has run roughshod over the 135-pound division.
On Thursday, the UFC may have gotten her some stiff competition.
UFC president Dana White announced on Twitter that the company had signed former boxing champion Holly Holm, who is 7-0 in her mixed martial arts career.
Holm is expected to debut with the promotion in the fall, but isn't expected to land an immediate title shot against Rousey. She was 33-2-3 as a boxer and was 2-1 as a kick boxer.
Holm is 5-8, an inch taller than the 5-7 Rousey, and has a 70-66 advantage in reach.
The UFC had been in talks with Holm for several months. Holm began boxing in 2002 and won a number of world championships. Included among her victories were 2005 wins over Christy Martin and Mia St. John.
Holm made her MMA debut on March 4, 2011, defeating Christina Domke by leg kicks in the second round. Later that month, on March 27, 2011, Rousey made her pro MMA debut by submitting Ediane Gomes with an arm bar in just 25 seconds of the first round.
Rousey is now 10-0 and coming off a 16-second TKO victory over Alexis Davis at UFC 175 on July 5.
No one in the UFC seems remotely on her level at this point, and Rousey was a resounding 10-1 favorite over Davis, who had entered the bout 3-0 in the UFC and a winner of eight of nine matches overall.
So, the UFC is hopeful that Holm's game is advanced enough to give Rousey a run for the money.
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