Win, lose or draw on Saturday, 41-year-old Holly Holm plans to keep fighting

In a phone interview on Thursday, Albuquerque’s Holly Holm was presented with three competing scenarios in advance of her fight against Brazil’s Mayra Bueno Silva on Saturday in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Scenario No. 1: She defeats Bueno Silva and is offered a fight for the UFC bantamweight title, a belt Holm once wore, now vacant after the retirement of champion Amanda Nunes.

No. 2: She defeats Bueno Silva but is passed over for a title shot. As the No. 3 bantamweight contender, she’s forced to watch No. 1 Julianna Peña and No. 2 Raquel Pennington (whom Holm has beaten twice) fight for the belt.

No. 3: She loses to Bueno Silva, drops from her current No. 3 spot in the rankings and falls out of the title picture.

Her responses:

To scenario No. 1: No response needed. Since losing the title to Miesha Tate in March 2016, regaining it has been Holm’s stated goal.

To No. 2: “I think at that point, depending on when they make that fight, I’d just wait and see what happens.” (And hope to fight the winner).

To No. 3: “There’s no way I’d walk away like that. ... I’’d keep fighting because I know my ability, but my plan is to not let that happen.”

Translation: Holm, 41, a combat-sports athlete for more than two decades, has no plans to stop now — or anytime soon.

Holm (15-6) is approximately a 7-to-4 betting favorite against Bueno Silva (10-2-1), a 31-year-old from Säo Paulo.

It’s virtually a must-win fight for Holm, given that a loss to the 10th-ranked Brazilian (see scenario No. 3 above) would have disastrous consequences for Holm’s title chances.

The Albuquerque southpaw acknowledges as much.

“As much as people think (a fight against a lower-ranked opponent) is supposed to be, quote-unquote, easier, it’s actually a bigger risk,” she said. “There’s a lot of pressure behind that. But I should be able to rise to the occasion regardless, so that’s my plan.”

Bueno Silva said last week she believes a victory over Holm by knockout would secure her a shot at the bantamweight title — an interesting thought, since she has just one knockout among her 10 victories.

Bueno Silva actually is more of submission artist, having won seven times by that route.

Conversely, Holm has never won a fight by submission and has won eight times by knockout or TKO. She has lost by submission only once — famously, or infamously, to Tate in her first title defense after her historic upset victory over Ronda Rousey in Australia.

In Bueno Silva’s most recent fight, a victory by second-round submission (knee bar) over Lina Lansberg on Feb. 18, she punished Lansberg with knees and kicks in standup, took down the Swedish fighter twice and finished her with a creative submission move.

It as an impressive, well-rounded performance.

“I’m not overlooking any part of her game at all,” Holm said.

But Lansberg (10-8) is not of Holm’s caliber, and the Albuquerque fighter believes she has an advantage against Bueno Silva in every department.

“I’m confident of my skills in all areas,” she said. “... There’s some strengths that she has, but I do feel like I edge her out in most areas.

“All areas, actually. I really, truly feel that.”

Bueno Silva is a smaller-bodied fighter than Holm, having moved up to bantamweight (135) just three fights ago after campaigning at flyweight (125) for the previous four years. Holm three times has fought at featherweight (145).

Holm believes she has a size and strength advantage, but added, “Strength isn’t the only thing that wins a fight, so I’m not trying to just rely on that. ... There’s a lot of skill set that does not need, necessarily, a lot of strength.

“But I do feel I’ll be stronger than any opponent she’s faced so far.”

Holm endured a rough patch in 2021-22, having two fights canceled due to illness or injury, then losing by a controversial split decision to Ketlen Vieira.

Finally healthy, she dominated former Jackson-Wink MMA teammate Yana Santos on March 25 in winning by lopsided unanimous decision.

“Super thankful to be where I’m at,” she said.

Some 23 years after she first walked into coach Mike Winkeljohn’s dojo, the journey continues.

Holm-Bueno Silva is the main event of Saturday’s card, scheduled to be televised on ESPN and streamed on espn+, beginning at 8 p.m.