Holly Holm’s global fan base truly knows no boundaries, nor age restrictions, if the latest post by popular Instagram influencer @Lauraiz is any indication.
In honor of UFC Fight Night Singapore: Holm vs. Correia on June 17 at Singapore Indoor Stadium, Laura Izumikawa has adorned her adorable 13-month-old daughter Joey Marie, AKA “Baby Joey” in full Holm regalia, with an assist from UFC’s Consumer Products team.
Inspired by Holm’s rousing upset victory over heavily favored Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 in November 2015, Izumikawa is clearly a superfan of “The Preacher’s Daughter.”
Her inspiration for Baby Joey’s myriad outfits often comes from pop culture and celebrity influences. Judging by the popularity of Baby Joey’s previous costumed posts, her spot-on portrayal of Holm – who faces Brazilian star Bethe“Pitbull” Correia in the main event on the UFC FIGHT PASS exclusive card – will be a big hit (pun intended).
UFC.com caught up with @lauraiz to find out more about Joey’s latest Instagram statement:
Q: What was your favorite costume for Joey?
Laura: “My favorite costume for Joey was probably the one of ‘Belle’ (“Beauty and the Beast”) in her gold dress, with the rose. I asked a fabric company to send me some material and I pieced it together even though I don’t even know how to sew clothes! I was really happy with the way it turned out!”
Q: Are you a fan of the UFC?
Laura: “I’ve actually never really watched the UFC except for when Holly Holm and Ronda Rousey fought.”
Q: Any favorite fighters?
Laura: “Holly Holm!”
Q: How did you start to upload the photos of your dressed-up daughter as she napped?
Laura: “It started out as something I did for myself and my family, just to have some fun photos. I started posting them on my Instagram account to show my friends and it just took off from there.”
Q: There are so many creative photos. Where do you get your inspiration?
Laura: “I love pop culture, especially films and music that have an iconic presence. If they’ve left an impression on my life somehow, I usually try to think of a way to represent them throuh a costume. Usually it’s easiest when the costumes are iconic and easily recognizable.”
Q: Looks like this is first time you’ve uploaded a photo featuring UFC and UFC outfits. What’s your opinion of the photo and what it represents?
Laura: “I have a couple of female friends who are really into jiu jitsu and martial arts and I’ve loved watching their journey in learning the sport and dedicating themselves to building where they are now. I have major respect for these athletes, especially the women who are in this male-dominated sport.
I’m honored that I can dress Joey up as Holly Holm, a UFC fighter, because I want to show Joey that women are strong and can dominate in sports that are often thought of a more masculine thing. I want her to know she is strong as a female.”
Q: Your impression of, or thoughts on, Holly Holm?
Laura: “I don’t know too much about Holly Holm, except that she was the unexpected winner of the fight against Rousey. I saw that she remained respectful and carried great sportsmanship and I really loved that.”
Q: What’s your plan from now on and is there any specific theme you’d like to try in the future?
Laura: “I would love to do an athlete/sports theme. If only I can find miniature outfits like this UFC one!”
Nancy Gay is the Editor-in-Chief of UFC.com. Follow her on Twitter at @NancyGay
