Megan Anderson says Holly Holm booking ‘came as a shock’

Megan Anderson will make her promotional debut at UFC 225, but the former Invicta champion admitted to being surprised that she was pitted against Holly Holm for the Chicago event.

Anderson was initially meant to be making her Octagon bow last year at UFC 214 against Cris Cyborg. However, personal issues ruled her out of the fight and out of competition for over a year.

The former Invicta featherweight champion admitted she was shocked at hearing that she would be fighting former bantamweight champion, Holly Holm.

“I was actually really surprised. It wasn’t something that I had actually [considered]. I’d seenCat Zingano come out a few weeks and said that she had really big news about a potential big fight. I could remember watching you and then connecting the dots that maybe she was fighting Holly, maybe that’s in the works,” she said.

“I didn’t really have Holly in mind, so it definitely did come as a shock. I think is a perfect opportunity to showcase my skills against someone that’s the caliber that Holly is. She’s held world titles in MMA and boxing and she’s done a lot for this sport. I’m excited.”

Although Holm has been defeated four times in her last five outings, Anderson refused to say that the former boxing and kickboxing champion is on the back end of her career.

“I think you’re as dangerous as you want to be. It’s not really my place to say if she’s on the back end of her career or not, only Holly and her team are the ones that know that. I’m sure they’re training hard and are prepared for this fight.

“In any fight, someone always brings forward some kind of danger factor and it’s just how you deal with that. Holly, she uses a lot of movement. She doesn’t necessarily engage a lot and I feel that’s what’s not tended to go her way in the split decisions.

“It will be interesting to see how she approaches me, with me being the bigger and longer fighter than she is. She hasn’t necessarily fought someone like me before.”

Many people believed that Anderson would likely face Cyborg in her UFC debut, but she maintained she was ready for any opponent the promotion would offer her.

“Whether it was for the belt or against anyone else, we were ready. Yes, it’s a step-up in competition, yes it’s a step-up in audience attendance because Invicta doesn’t tend to get the audience that the UFC does,” she said.

“At the end of the day, it’s just two people in a cage fighting. Whether it’s in front of 500 people, 1,000 or 10,000, Holly and I are the only ones in there and the only people who can dictate where this fight goes. Everything else doesn’t really matter.”