Ronda Rousey and Holly Holm clash in the Octagon for the main event of UFC 193, capping a spectacular fight card that will give the Melbourne, Australia mixed martial arts fans plenty to rave about.
The intense Friday weigh-in dramatics only set the stage for Rousey-Holm in the women’s bantamweight title showdown even more, but that’s only the last fight of a jam-packed card filled with some of UFC’s best. Take a look below for the full breakdown as well as predictions.
UFC 193 Main Card, Projected Winners
Fight to Watch
Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm
I mean, is there really any question?
Sure, there may be multiple championship bouts on the card with a scintillating women’s strawweight battle just before. There’s also some well-established heavyweights among the main card, including Mark Hunt, Antonio Silva and the seven-foot “Skyscraper” Stefan Struve.
But those are all mere appetizers for the Ronda Rousey show.
Once again, Rousey gets ready to step into the Octagon as an unbelievably huge favorite—a 1-19 favorite on Odds Shark, to be exact. Holm has just 12-1 odds to mount the upset, and it’s not hard to see why.
Out of Rousey‘s 12 fights in the UFC, she’s won all in convincing fashion. Oh, and 11 of those have come in the first round. In that span, she’s hardly spent half an hour in the ring—the same time some men’s title fighters spend on a single fight.
Hardly anyone expects Holm to mount the upset, but she’s not backing down as UFC president Dana White‘s Twitter showed:
Despite the theatrics during weigh-ins, Rousey undoubtedly has a lot of respect for one of the most decorated fighters in women’s mixed martial arts. The 34-year-old Holm is known for her standing-and-striking prowess.
Her 33-2 record that includes championships in practically every promotion outside of UFC displays that. But that’s not to say Rousey hasn’t heated things up and made it personal between the two leading up to this one, as Fox Sports UFC showed:
Aside from the personal jabs and all the weigh-in drama, the fact remains—Holly Holm will have to step into the Octagon with Ronda Rousey, and the results won’t be pretty.
It won’t be long-lasting, either. As Rousey has proven throughout her career, even when foes try to avoid getting in tight where she can punish them, that’s only delaying the inevitable.
Holm has the smarts to make this a one- to two-minute fight, but that’s about all she’ll be able to do before Rousey takes her out.
Prediction: Rousey wins via submission in first round
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