Albuquerque welcomes home UFC champion Holly Holm (Reuters)

By Joseph Kolb ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Reuters) – As the world is slowly getting to know Holly Holm, the new female Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight champion of the world was warmly welcomed back home on Sunday to Albuquerque, where she is a well-known local celebrity.     Three weeks after Holm shocked the mixed martial arts world with a stunning knockout of heavily favored reigning UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey in Melbourne, Australia, the 34-year-old received a hero’s welcome from more than 20,000 fans in Albuquerque, her hometown and where she launched her career. “I love you guys,” she said to the crowd in the Civic Plaza after a downtown parade.