UFC stalwart Holly Holm enjoys the passion shown by controversial star Conor McGregor as both face vital bouts in Las Vegas this weekend.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Former featherweight and lightweight world champion McGregor fights fan favourite Donald Cerrone in the main event on the UFC 246 card at T-Mobile Arena on Sunday afternoon (AEDT).
Holm, whose biggest win was in Melbourne in November 2015, when she dethroned previously unbeaten UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, takes on American compatriot Raquel Pennington in the co-main event.
The build-up has been dominated by talk about the bout between the fourth- and fifth-ranked lightweights McGregor and Cerrone respectively.
It's a first fight in more than 15 months since a submission loss to lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov for McGregor, who goes by the nickname "notorious".
The Irishman has generated plenty of headlines with his performances inside the octagon and outside it through his outspoken comments and wayward behaviour.
Holm has had a close look at McGregor, having sat next to him at a media conference.
" I like the energy behind these fights. I think it's fun, I like the passion," Holm told AAP.
"I like that people get into it. The energy behind the main event for this is great."
McGregor is considered a warm favourite to beat Cerrone, who has lost his last two fights.
Holm has gone 2-2 in her past four fights and won just two out of her past seven since beating Rousey.
She is the third-ranked female bantamweight, two spots above Pennington, who Holm made her UFC debut against just under five years ago, when she eked out a split-points win.
"This fight is so important. I can't have another loss, that's the bottom line," Holm said.
"I've let too many of these fights fall through my fingers and I've ended up in losses and I can't let that happen, so there's a lot riding on this fight. I've got to come out with a win."
Their rematch was supposed to happen last October at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium, where she defeated Rousey in 2015, before a then world record UFC crowd, but Holm suffered a ligament injury.
"I wasn't able to fight at a place where I had a lot of memories and a lot of good vibes,"' Holm said.
Australian Associated Press
