‘Protect The Children’: UFC Fighter Holly Holm Denounces The Sexualization Of Minors During Victory Speech

American UFC fighter Holly Holm denounced the sexualization of children during her women’s bantamweight victory speech on Saturday night at UFC on ESPN 43.

Holm, 41, a former women’s bantamweight champion, defeated Yana Santos via unanimous decision in the co-main event at AT&T Center in San Antonio, marking her first win since 2020. Following her victory, Holm drew attention to the ongoing sexualization of children, calling for her fans to “protect the children.”

“Something’s been on my heart, and I feel like I have the platform to say it,” Holm told the crowded AT&T Center. “I just feel it’s really sad all the sexualization of our children right now, and we need to protect them, whatever that may be.”

“Let’s protect the children, please!” she added.

Holly Holm talking about protecting our children 💯 pic.twitter.com/yF0voNuW0X

— Hodgetwins (@hodgetwins) March 26, 2023

Holm, a southpaw from Sandia Heights in Albuquerque who calls herself “The Preacher’s Daughter,” further explained in a post-fight press conference to reporters that calling to end the sexualization of children should not be a partisan issue.

“You know, there’s a lot of things, I don’t ever want to be — I’m not even a real political person,” Holm said. “But there’s also just right and wrong. I feel like everybody should be on the same side on that. I don’t feel like that has anything to do with left side, right side, or anything like that. I feel like everybody should be wanting to protect their children.”

The mixed-martial artist said she used her platform to speak out against the issue “to get everybody together to protect children.”

“There’s a lot of child trafficking,” she said. “I mean, that’s like the extreme part. There’s a lot of levels to it. You see it almost being more accepted, and I think that’s really sad. I feel like we should all do what we can. A lot of people don’t know what to do.”

“It affects people in their long-term life too. I have friends that are adults, and their biggest – that kinda is a shadow, kind of that dark space for them – is being sexualized when they were young,” she added. “I feel like it’s almost getting accepted.”

Holly Holm explains why she used the platform of her #UFCSanAntonio post-fight interview to speak out about the sexualization of children.#UFCSanAntonio | Full video: https://t.co/f3wyzrR4if pic.twitter.com/98tnbG96TL

— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) March 26, 2023

According to ESPN, Holm dominated Santos for all three rounds of the fight, where she landed four takedowns and maintained control in the Octagon. UFC officials called the battle for Holm in a lopsided unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27).

Lenny Fresquez, promoter for Holm, told the Albuquerque Journal that Saturday’s fight launched the first of six under a renewal contract with the UFC.

“Her mission is to get that gold,” Fresquez said. “She’s one or two fights away from it.”

Holm, who last fought in 2022, told the outlet she would continue fighting for another shot at the title.

Holm shocked the MMA world when she first captured the bantamweight title in November 2015 after she knocked out an undefeated Ronda Rousey.