Holly Holm not fazed being a huge underdog against Ronda Rousey

Holly Holm boasts world-championship boxing skills, is schooled by the best mixed martial arts trainers available, and counts Jon Jones, a former Ultimate Fighting Championship light-heavyweight champion, as a consultant.

Yet Holm is a 20-1 underdog against Ronda Rousey, UFC’s undefeated bantamweight champion, for their scheduled five-round bout in Melbourne, Australia, on Sunday afternoon (Saturday night Pacific time).

Nevertheless, Holm brings to this bout a 69-inch reach that is longer than Rousey’s, a 33-2-3 boxing record and a 9-0 showing in MMA. Holm also has pro kickboxing experience, a southpaw’s stance and impressive conditioning thanks to her high elevation training in New Mexico.

It’s why, as UFC officials were deciding who Rousey should fight next, they turned away from the No. 1 contender, Miesha Tate, who had lost to Rousey twice previously, and gave the 34-year-old Holm the opportunity.

“All I care about is to win … I don’t want to go into the fight thinking too much. A fight is unpredictable. I want to go in with an open-ended plan and adjust along the way, not panic,” said Holm. “I visualize this person coming into the gym to practice with me … it takes the intensity level down.”

That intensity should ramp up when the imposing Rousey (12-0) glares across the octagon at Holm with an outdoor stadium crowd possibly reaching 70,000 in full roar.

“I know it’s going to be insane — breathtaking energy — but I just want to focus on being level-headed,” Holm said.

She has experience in front of crowds. Her father is a Christian preacher, and Holm accompanied him to hospitals and other emotion-packed settings where he was needed, gaining valued exposure in remaining grounded.

And in her ring career Holm has shown she can handle tough situations.

In December 2011, Holm suffered a knockout loss to Anne Sophie Mathis, a beatdown that left Holm bloodied under the left eye. Seven months later in a rematch, Holm put on a boxing show, relying on her conditioning to out-point Mathis by unanimous decision.

In her MMA bouts, Holm’s ability to whip right legs at the body and pound devastating left kicks to the head further raised her profile.

“Having a fight with [Rousey] means a chance at winning a title. It’s not my end goal. I’m going after the title. She’s not the only fighter out there. It’s not the end of the road fighting her,” Holm said.

Rousey is a prohibitive favorite because she’s made such fast work of her past four opponents, needing just 2 minutes, 10 seconds combined to knock out Sara McMann (knee to body), Alexis Davis (overhand right hand to face), Cat Zingano (armbar submission) and Bethe Correia (knockout punch).

Rousey’s trainer, Edmond Tarverdyan, predicts Holm will run from Rousey, limiting exchanges in an effort to get the fight to the judges while hoping for a surprise attack that would make Holm the first-ever boxing and UFC champion.

Holm hinted she has interest in extending the fight. Rousey has never been past 58 seconds of the third round.

“There’s a different feel in late rounds,” Holm said. “It’s physically and mentally exhausting. In the fourth and fifth, you lose focus. That’s the thing we’ve seen in this sport.”

Rousey, 28, maintains she’ll have an answer for whatever Holm does. The champion has also said she’d like to win a boxing match, even when her interest is to take the fight to the ground and let her judo skills shine.

“I don’t know how much she really wants to box,” Holm said. “There’s always mind games, little psychology things people try to do. Do I feel like she’s improved a lot in her boxing? Absolutely. She has [two] knockouts from overhand rights.”

Holm’s MMA trainers, Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn, have trained former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and Jones, and they’ve pointed Holm’s attention to Rousey’s flaws, whatever they may be.

“She’s been the most dominating. That doesn’t mean she’s not beatable,” Holm said. “Their confidence in me gives me confidence. They’ve been around so many big fights … they’re serious with me, telling me what I did wrong. I don’t want them to sugar-coat it. They give me good direction.”

Logic says Holm will do whatever it takes to avoid a fight with Rousey on the canvas. In Holm’s two UFC bouts, she’s successfully defended all five takedown attempts and hasn’t been on her back yet, delivering 109 significant strikes all while standing.

“Do I want to go in and say I’m going to grab [Rousey] and hip-toss [her] because I’ve been working on that? Why would I want to do what she’s best at?” Holm asked.

“I see myself in the fight, staying focused every moment. I’ve put myself in this positive place and see myself capitalizing upon it.”

lance.pugmire@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimespugmire