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In a phone interview on Thursday, sa国际传媒官网网页入口鈥檚 Holly Holm was presented with three competing scenarios in advance of her fight against Brazil鈥檚 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鈥檚 forced to watch No. 1 Julianna Pe帽a 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鈥檚 stated goal.

To No. 2: 鈥淚 think at that point, depending on when they make that fight, I鈥檇 just wait and see what happens.鈥� (And hope to fight the winner).

To No. 3: 鈥淭here鈥檚 no way I鈥檇 walk away like that. ... I鈥欌�檇 keep fighting because I know my ability, but my plan is to not let that happen.鈥�

Translation: Holm, 41, a combat-sports athlete for more than two decades, has no plans to stop now 鈥� 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 S盲o Paulo.

It鈥檚 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鈥檚 title chances.

The sa国际传媒官网网页入口 southpaw acknowledges as much.

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

Bueno Silva said last week she believes a victory over Holm by knockout would secure her a shot at the bantamweight title 鈥� 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 鈥� famously, or infamously, to Tate in her first title defense after her historic upset victory over Ronda Rousey in Australia.

In Bueno Silva鈥檚 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.

鈥淚鈥檓 not overlooking any part of her game at all,鈥� Holm said.

But Lansberg (10-8) is not of Holm鈥檚 caliber, and the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 fighter believes she has an advantage against Bueno Silva in every department.

鈥淚鈥檓 confident of my skills in all areas,鈥� she said. 鈥�... There鈥檚 some strengths that she has, but I do feel like I edge her out in most areas.

鈥淎ll areas, actually. I really, truly feel that.鈥�

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, 鈥淪trength isn鈥檛 the only thing that wins a fight, so I鈥檓 not trying to just rely on that. ... There鈥檚 a lot of skill set that does not need, necessarily, a lot of strength.

鈥淏ut I do feel I鈥檒l be stronger than any opponent she鈥檚 faced so far.鈥�

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.

鈥淪uper thankful to be where I鈥檓 at,鈥� she said.

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

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