Holly Holm is the UFC bantamweight champion. That’s right. Not Ronda Rousey. It’s Holm.
That is strange to type, strange to read and strange to hear. It will likely be strange for quite some time. Nearly all of us saw Rousey as a near-invincible monster. Sure, we all saw holes in her game, but no one truly believed they could be exploited to the degree Holm did at UFC 193.
And here is the bonus from the result—it makes the division immensely interesting.
Rousey had run roughshod over the division. The fact Holm was thrust into title position as the No. 7-ranked contender tells you how dominant Rousey was. The UFC had to search past the No. 5 spot to find a contender she had yet to defeat or one who had some wins to her credit.
Remember how Miesha Tate was disappointed and contemplating retirement because she was skipped over? Guess who is in prime position for a title shot as the No. 1-ranked contender.
Or how about Cat Zingano. You know, the very talented No. 2 contender who lost to Rousey in just 14 seconds—back in play for a quick title shot. As are Amanda Nunes, Sarah Kaufman and Julianna Pena.
The UFC has options. And not just options, but interesting options because of how each of those women matches up with Holm. The new champion—that’s still weird to type—had a competitive bout with No. 12-ranked Raquel Pennington in her debut, showing that she doesn’t have the aura that Rousey had. Holm makes 135 fun again.
This is no longer a one-woman show. Bantamweight is now a legitimate division with several title contenders ready, willing and able while Rousey is on the sidelines. After all, she said she planned on taking significant time off following UFC 193.
In the meantime, Holm can take on a challenger or two. Likely just one, however, as it would make all the sense in the world for the UFC’s biggest star to make her triumphant return at UFC 200 this July. And if Holm is still champion? Wheel the money-printing machine directly into Dana White‘s office and plug it in.
This single victory by Holm will reinvigorate the entire division. It makes it a wide-open field and gives hope for the rest of the division should Rousey return and claim gold. That aura that surrounded her was shattered with the head-kick heard ’round the world. It’s but a memory.
In the words of Good Ol‘ Jim Ross, “Business is about to pick up.”
“The Preacher’s Daughter” laid Rousey at the altar and sacrificed her to the gods of the division. For the betterment of all.
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