Holly Holm gets new opponent for Legacy FC 24

Former pro boxing champion Holly Holm has a new opponent for next month’s Legacy FC 24 event.

Following an injury withdrawal by Erica Paes (2-1), Holm (4-0) is now slated to fight fellow bantamweight Nikki Knudsen (2-1) at the Oct. 11 event, which airs on AXS TV from Allen Event Center in Allen, Texas.

Legacy FC promoter Mick Maynard confirmed the switch with MMAjunkie.com.

Paes, who delivered Invicta FC champ and former Strikeforce titleholder Cristiane Justino her only career loss, took the bout after approximately 40 other fighters turned it down, according to Maynard. However, Paes was forced off the card with a knee injury.

Her replacement, Knudsen, fought twice in 2009 and once in January of this year, when the Alaskan submitted Windy Thorn at Alaska Fighting Championship 96. The Holm fight will be the Gracie Barra Alaska fighter’s first booking outside of her home state.

Holm, one of MMA’s more intriguing female prospects, went 33-2-3 during her pro boxing career and announced a full-time move to MMA earlier this year. In her promotional debut at Legacy FC 21 in July, she scored a second-round knockout via head kick against Allanna Jones. All of Holm’s MMA wins have come by knockout. She trains at the Jackson-Winkeljohn camp in Albuquerque, N.M.

The latest Legacy FC 24 card includes:

MAIN CARD (AXS TV, 10 p.m. ET)

• Ryan Benoit vs. Damacio Page
• Carlos Diego Ferreira vs. Chris Feist
• Henry Cejudo vs. Ryan Hollis
• Charles Byrd vs. Mike Jasper
• Holly Holm vs. Nikki Knudsen
• Damon Jackson vs. Javier Obregon

PRELIMINARY CARD (Untelevised, 8 p.m. ET)

• Matthew Lozano vs. Klayton Mai
• Evan Thompson vs. Edgar Verdin
• Eliazar Rodriguez vs. Eli Tamez
• Sean Holden vs. Melvin Jordan
• Douglas Frey vs. Hunter Tucker

For more on Legacy FC 24, including the night’s official fight card, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Holly Holm)