Video: Holly Holm just fine with extra attention after knocking out Ronda Rousey

NEW YORK – The two months since Holly Holm shocked the world has to have been a bit of a whirlwind.

Before she knocked out Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 for the biggest upset in MMA history, Holm was on the fringe of greatness. But since that historic win, things have changed for her.

It’s going to take a lot for Holm to have the spotlight be a stranger to her going forward.

“The reason why the spotlights are there is because of the victory, so I’ll take that any day over the opposite,” Holm said on Friday at a promotional appearance at the Empire State Building in New York. “I’m fine with it, but I still like to just get to the gym and train. I think that as long as I stay focused on keeping a good balance, then I’ll do just that.”

Holm (10-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) was at the Empire State Building with Miesha Tate (17-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC), whom she’ll meet in the UFC 197 co-main event in March – the first defense of her title. A planned rematch with Rousey was put on hold because of Rousey’s movie schedule, and Holm wanted to get back to work quickly.

UFC 197 takes place March 5 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The main card, with a main event superfight and lightweight title bout between champ Rafael dos Anjos and featherweight titleholder Conor McGregor.

Holm became a legit star with her upset of Rousey, and a win over Tate would obviously continue that trajectory. So far, she hasn’t had a problem with getting the extra attention.

“I got to meet actors, actresses, singers, athletes, and that’s been awesome,” Holm said. “No marriage proposals yet, but I’m already married. It’s been fun, though. I’m just trying to ride the wave. There have been opportunities I’ve gotten to take advantage of – I got to go to the Broncos game, and go down on the field and watch the first possessions of the game and sit in the VIP section and just really enjoy the game. It’s been a whole different experience, and it’s really endless, the things I’ve been able to experience.”

For more on UFC 197, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.