For Stephanie Han, it's getting better all the time

Whether it’s karma, the fruits of her everyday discipline or some great script, Stephanie Han has found herself in a fighting life that continues escalating.

Saturday on ESPN, in the main event of a Most Valuable Promotions card that has women’s boxing legend Amanda Serrano in the co-main, Han stages her rematch with Hall of Fame boxer and ex-UFC champion Holly Holm in Han’s hometown of El Paso, Texas.

In January, Han 12-0 (3KOs) defeated Holm by technical decision when a forehead cut caused by an accidental headbutt sent the bout to the scorecards with Han winning, 69-65, 68-65, 69-64, to retain her WBA lightweight belt.

Han, 35, is a full-time El Paso police officer assigned to training-academy administration and a mother of two children, including an 8-year-old daughter with special needs who is subject to seizures and unable to talk or walk.

“I have an amazing family and support team and could never do it without their love and support,” Han told BoxingScene. “My kids are my life. I feel like my kids are my extra inspiration.

“My daughter’s quality of life is being loved. That girl is the most spoiled child in the whole wide world. She is loved by everybody. I want to give her the best life I can. I want to be a champion and a role model for my son. I do everything for my family.

“I’m so lucky I have them – it’s the mama power: I don’t care what you do, I need to do this for my family.”

Han’s devotion to sport is similarly determined.

A former amateur fighter, she returned to the gym in 2021 to help spar with and prepare her sister, Jennifer Han, to go the distance against Katie Taylor in Leeds.

Realizing her own talent was sharp, Stephanie turned pro later that year and became a world champion last year. This will be her third title defense.

“I do believe in karma – that you should do unto others how you would want it done to you,” Han said. “I’ve always been taught with respect. My dad is a martial arts instructor. Our family is humble.

“I just want to be the best person I can and leave a good example for my kids, my family, my community. That’s always been me. I’m not expecting anything in return. I just want to be a good person.”

With Holm, 44, vowing to perform in a far crisper manner Saturday, Han said she is prepared for a different type of fight after reaching Holm so successfully with right hands in the first bout.

“I don’t expect her to fight the same way. I expect it to be intense because she wants to take my belt, obviously,” Han said. “I don’t know her game plan. I can’t read her mind, but obviously I’ll read her the first couple rounds to see what she’s doing. Test her to see what she’ll do, how she’ll react, but it doesn’t matter … I’m going to fight my best fight and do whatever’s necessary to retain my WBA lightweight belt.”

Former two-division champion Holm is fighting to become the first International Boxing Hall of Famer to win a world title after Manny Pacquiao fought to a welterweight-title draw last year.

For years, Han has been a longtime admirer of Holm, who resides in nearby Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“I’m a true Holly Holm fan and I’m so glad I got to meet her before we went to Puerto Rico [for the first fight] because I got all those nerves and all those fan-girl jitters out of the way,” Han said. “She’s such a good human. I don’t hate her at all. I just want to win and let’s be friends after.

“I’m going to prepare for every situation, whether she’s aggressive or defensive. I’m going to do what I do best.”

Should Holm win, it would ramp up the appetite for an MMA rematch with fellow Most Valuable Promotions fighter Ronda Rousey, who defeated Gina Carano by armbar in 17 seconds two weeks ago in Los Angeles.

Han believes Rousey-Holm 2 should happen regardless of Saturday’s outcome.

“I’d still think that’d be an amazing MMA fight that I know I’d be watching,”: she said. “They’re totally different sports, they should do it. Ronda Rousey showed she’s still one of the best with that armbar. Why not fight Holly? Avenge the loss, get Holly that exposure again – because she solidified herself as a legend in that [2015 UFC] fight.”

Victory is paramount for Han for her to assert herself in the conversation to fight undisputed super-lightweight champion Taylor, who aspires to bring her final bout to Ireland’s Croke Park, with her representatives touting it would draw 100,000 fans.

“That would be a dream come true since my sister is the reason I came back to boxing at 30 years old,” Han said. “When I came back to spar my sister as she prepared for Katie Taylor, that’s when I realized I can still be a champion.

“So Katie Taylor, in a sense, pushed me to go back to boxing and it would just be amazing to end her career with that fight. She motivated and inspired me and I would love the opportunity to be her last fight.”

Until then, Han is savoring her own homecoming.

“This is what dreams are all about. I came back to boxing to be a world champion. I became a world champion, and everything else surpassed my expectations,” she said. “I didn’t intend for it to be this good - to be signed with [Jake Paul’s] Most Valuable Promotions, to have a rematch with the legend Holly Holm in my city of El Paso, to have Amanda Serrano on this card.

“This is history for my city. I love my city.”