Holm (14-5) enjoyed success in the boxing ring before entering the Octagon, going 33-2-3 and winning championships in three different weight classes while defeating legendary adversaries such as Christy Martin and Mia St. John.
The switch to mixed martial arts was seamless for her as she obtained her first 10 fights, including the stunning upset in November 2015 that ended the previously invincible Ronda Rousey’s three-year UFC bantamweight title reign.
The star dimmed quickly for Holm as she lost to Miesha Tate in her first defense of the championship.
She then dropped decisions versus current UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko, Germaine de Randamie and Cris Cyborg — the latter two in featherweight title matches — before being knocked out by Amanda Nunes in July 2019 in her quest to regain the bantamweight crown.
Holm regrouped by winning unanimous decisions versus Raquel Pennington and Irene Aldana. But the latter victory came just two weeks before her 40th birthday in October 2020 and she hasn’t fought since, as an illness and a knee injury forced her to withdraw from a pair of scheduled fights last year.
A native of New Mexico, Holm should have her hands full with Vieira (12-2), who defeated Tate via unanimous decision in her last fight this past November. T
he 30-year-old Brazilian had dropped two of her previous three fights, including a knockout loss against Aldana in December 2019. Vieira, who is a strong grappler, has been a bantamweight champion in two lesser promotions, holding the title in Mr. Cage and Big Way before joining the UFC in October 2016.
Holm is a -230 favorite (risk $230 to win $100) while Vieira is a +190 underdog in the latest UFC Fight Night: Holm vs. Vieira odds from Caesars Sportsbook. The co-main event is a welterweight fight between 14th-ranked contender Santiago Ponzinibbio (+105) and Michel Pereira (-125).
