Last Updated on March 26, 2023
UFC legend Holly Holm spoke out against the “sexualization of children” after picking up a win in San Antonio on Saturday night.
Holm’s win over Yana Santos marked the first in a little over two years for the former Women’s Bantamweight champion. After a close first round, the 41-year-old managed to take Santos down in the second. From there it was more or less domination for the future hall of famer, who departed from her usual boxing style in favor of a ground attack that Santos had no answer for.
After her win, Holm took the opportunity to condemn the “sexualization of children” in society. “Something’s been on my heart and I feel like I have the platform to say it, I need to say it,” Holm said. “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!”
BREAKING: UFC superstar Holly Holm calls out the left’s sexualization of children. pic.twitter.com/m2S9qqKKri
— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) March 26, 2023
The former champion later clarified her statement at the post-fight press conference. “You know there’s a lot of things, I don’t ever want to be… I’m not even a real political person,” she said. “I don’t like to put that stuff around any of my social media… 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.”
“There’s a lot of child trafficking. 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. But at least if I can have a voice on it then that’s something I can speak out on. And it’s just to get everybody together to protect children,” Holm continued.
UFC Superstar Holly Holm used her win to call out the sexualization of children when asked what she meant here is her answer: pic.twitter.com/LfNZfWc63o
— I Meme Therefore I Am
(@ImMeme0) March 26, 2023
Holm’s statement was met with praise by UFC lightweight star Michael Chandler, who took issue with an Amazon commercial displayed on the broadcast just before the post-fight interview.
“Right after [amazon] hits us with some gender-bending, confusing, mustache-wielding commercial,
[Holly Holm] calls out the sexualization of today’s youth. Thank you Holly,” tweeted Chandler on Saturday night. The ad in question can be viewed below.
@WKLondon teams with @Amazon Prime to tell the story of a trendsetting 'Tache'. https://t.co/ngC8hMRyPV pic.twitter.com/UkZNAnKb6y
— Adweek (@Adweek) March 19, 2023
“I’m all about everyone minding their own business but yes that commercial is real weird. Like what are they even doing? Weirdos,” wrote one Twitter user in response to Chandler’s tweet. “Don’t misinterpret ‘minding your own business’ for perpetuating evil until evil gets to the point that you wish you would have paid it more mind,” the UFC Lightweight replied.