Holly Holm Makes Surprise Last-Minute RAF Appearance, Loses

Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm made a surprise appearance at the Real American Freestyle event in Cleveland on Saturday night, stepping in on roughly 24 hours notice to face a local competitor and ultimately falling by what organizers reported as a 97 decision. The impromptu match drew a crowd that included MMA and wrestling figures such as Tito Ortiz, Mark Coleman, Jimmy Hart and Julianna Peña.

Holm, who traded punches and grappling exchanges with her opponent over the course of the bout, pushed the challenger but came up short in the judges’ tally, according to the event’s posted results. The opponent was identified in the event’s official result list as Alejandra Rivera, although some social media posts and promotion tweets referred to her as Alejandra Pinera. Organizers did not immediately clarify the discrepancy.

The night also delivered a heated moment between two MMA veterans. Midway through the event, Ortiz used the microphone to challenge Chael Sonnen, who had been serving as a commentator. Sonnen accepted on the spot, calling Ortiz drunk and vowing, according to his remarks, that he would “pin him one more time.” Organizers confirmed the bout will...