HomeFightersNew UFC Female Champion: Holly Holm Huw Thomas February 3, 2016 Facebook Twitter Google+ reddit Tumblr Like 1 One of the current stars of UFC, Holly Holm, shot to fame with her victory over the long-reigning Ronda Rousey. The unexpected win catapulted her right into the public eye, building on her earlier success as a boxer and kickboxer. Now considered one of the greatest upsets in the history of Mixed Martial Arts, it’s made a star out of the victor, but how has it affected her personal life? Looking back on Holly’s early childhood, she has always been imbued with strong morals. Daughter of a Church of Christ preacher, she grew up in New Mexico as the youngest child in the family. Her father’s profession has been lent to her nickname, The Preacher’s Daughter. Growing up, Holly was always fairly sporty. She played soccer and took part in numerous other sports such as diving, gymnastics, and swimming. Though her parents divorced just before she graduated high school, she didn’t take her eyes off her education and attended the University of New Mexico for a year. These days, Holly is better known for her MMA successes, though her first entry into the world of female boxing came after she initially got interested in aerobics. She has been successful as a boxer, however, being one of a number of fighters who were photographers by the noted Delilah Montoya for a feature in Women Boxers: the New Warriors. Profiling some of the best fighters of the day, it helped raise her profile. It’s not the only time she’s been featured in a magazine, with Holly being a surprise appearance in the 2016 film named Fight Valley. For anyone who wants to get a good idea of what the life of a UFC fighter looks like on a day-to-day basis, social media accounts are an excellent starting point. For Holly’s fans, Twitter and Instagram provide a great starting point for gaining a window into her life. One of the most surprising features of her everyday life is just how normal it can be. As fans will know, Holly regularly shares pictures of her spending time with friends and family. Relaxed, informal, and often quiet, the fighter enjoys the simpler moments rather than the Las Vegas party lifestyle some fighters often turn to. One of the best uses of her social media accounts is the reach is provided to Holly when she wants to thank or congratulate a person. One of the best examples of this was a recent post in which she reached out to Mike Winklejohn. Mike was the coach who helped her to train for some of her most important fights and was recently the recipient of the coach of the year award. Thanking Mike for his hard work and describing the award as ‘an understatement,’ Holly shared pictures of herself and the trainer across all her social media channels. The life of a fighter is a lot of hard work, however. While there is some relaxing and some socializing seen via social media, these channels give fans an insight into the hard work that goes into being a successful participant in the UFC. That’s why some of the most regular posts from Holly show her dedication to training hard. Sharing images from long runs in all sorts of weather and through all sorts of conditions, she always seems to be working hard to keep in shape. Running through the Sandia Mountains and through a snowy morning have helped her get in shape and made her one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport.