Holly Holm is your new UFC women’s bantamweight champion after beating Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 on Saturday. The Rousey Era is over—for now.
So that begs the question—who’s next?
It’s a big question because Rousey had defeated just about every challenger, and now the floodgates are open. All of the fighters ranked in the Top Five have an argument to be the next challenger for Holm’s gold. And in the UFC, dominant champions typically get immediate rematches.
After Holm’s destruction of Rousey, here are three viable options the UFC has for her first title defense.
Miesha Tate
Tate is the No. 1-ranked contender right now. She will likely move down to No. 2 come Monday when the new rankings are released, with Rousey taking up the No. 1 spot. Tate has four consecutive wins under her belt and was passed up for the UFC 193 slot by Holm due to her previous losses to Rousey.
No other challenger has her credentials or claim to the title shot, but she may not be the best option for the UFC.
Tate is well-rounded. She would be a good test for Holm, who has had some struggles inside the Octagon. She hasn’t been perfect. It could be a chance for Tate to reclaim the title of best women’s bantamweight in the world.
Cat Zingano
She is just behind Tate, although she has a victory over Cupcake. Zingano has not been back in the cage since her 14-second loss to Rousey in February. That could hamper her bid for a title shot.
Zingano may be the most intriguing fight for Holm, though.
“Alpha” Cat is one of the strongest women in the division and also one of the most athletic. She has power in her hands, but they are not at Holm’s level. Where she does have an advantage is on the ground. She is not as quick or dynamic as Rousey is, but her ground game is much different than that of the former champion. Zingano is a slick jiu-jitsu artist.
Holm vs. Zingano would be a fight for the MMA hardcore audience, featuring two likable characters who are good at their craft. It would be more of a technical battle than a free-for-all, and perhaps that would be a reason for the UFC to shy away from it as it looks to build up Holm.
Ronda Rousey
Well, this is the obvious choice. However, there is one big caveat to Rousey’s potential immediate rematch: when she wants to return and if the UFC wants Holm to wait to make her first title defense.
Rousey stated prior to the fight she wanted to “disappear” following UFC 193, and at the post-fight press conference Dana White confirmed that she may indeed be out until UFC 200 in July—just a little over seven months from now.
The rematch will be huge business for the UFC, and no bigger stage than UFC 200 exists. The fight company may not want to risk Holm defending the title against any other woman right now. That would halt the division’s momentum following her KO win, but it makes good business sense to preserve the rematch.
At this point, it would seem like common sense that Rousey will get an immediate rematch whenever she chooses to return to action. Will it come at the expense of other contenders, or will there be enough time for Holm to defend? That’s the $64,000 question.
Whomever Holm ends up fighting, it will be an intriguing bout. If it’s not Rousey, the new champion’s first defense will be a test of her new drawing power; however, if it is the bombastic Olympian, then we should buckle up for another round of The Ronda Show as everyone will be anticipating how she handles this adversity.
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