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First thing’s first: Holly Holm will try to bounce back against Valetina Shevchenko at UFC Chicago

The fight will headline UFC Chicago on Saturday, with bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes a potential next opponent for the winner

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Holly Holm (right) and Ronda Rousey in November 2015. Photo: EPA
Associated Press

The UFC women’s bantamweight belt has been treated like a hot potato in the past year, and that can be looked at as Holly Holm’s fault.

It was Holm who surprised then-undefeated Ronda Rousey, and all of UFC, with a swinging left foot that made her the new champion last November.

Then Holm lost the belt to Miesha Tate in her first title defence in March, before Tate coughed it up to Amanda Nunes in the main event of UFC 200 on July 9.

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Some may say the division’s fickle hierarchy cuts into its credibility, but Holm looks at it the other way.

“I feel like it’s very competitive. If it was weak that means there would still be one champion running from everybody,” Holm said. “If I really had it my way, we wouldn’t be on the fourth champion, we’d still be on the second champion.”

Holm (10-1, seven knockouts) has her long-term sights on regaining the belt, but she’s now focused on her fight with Valetina Shevchenko (12-2, four knockouts) that will headline UFC Chicago on Saturday.

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