UFC Should Play the Long Game with Holly Holm-Ronda Rousey Rematch

Sometimes, you have to roll the dice. If you’re the UFC, this—the rematch between Ronda Rousey and Holly Holm—is one of those times.
I get the prevailing opinion that UFC 200 this July is the time to do it. It’s not a bad strategy. But is i…

Sometimes, you have to roll the dice. If you’re the UFC, this—the rematch between Ronda Rousey and Holly Holm—is one of those times.

I get the prevailing opinion that UFC 200 this July is the time to do it. It’s not a bad strategy. But is it the very best strategy? I say no. A little patience and vision can add big intrigue and money to the UFC women’s bantamweight division for years—not months—to come.

Let me tell you how.

Wait, let me back up a step first. See, just because a choice is low-resistance doesn’t make the choice right. The primrose path here is the Holm-Rousey insta-rematch at UFC 200. It’s the presumed, rumored and understandable target.

In fact, Holm and her brain trust have already said an immediate rematch makes sense to them, and that they will grant one if asked.

Rousey, for her part, has said nothing either way, though it’s a pretty safe bet she’d want to run it back.

Here’s the thing, though: UFC 200 is going to be a big event no matter what. For reference, UFC 100 had two title fights and Brock Lesnar, who was maybe the UFC’s biggest pre-Rousey crossover star. This milestone event will be a milestone event.

And that’s exactly why you don’t need to rush Rousey and Holm onto that card. Instead, play the long game for once.

There are countless ways to stack UFC 200. Put Holm on there against, say, Miesha Tate, who told FoxSports.com’s Damon Martin that she’s open to the idea. If not Tate, pick someone else—anyone besides Rousey. UFC 200 will pull a big number, even sans rematch.

Meanwhile, make Rousey earn her title shot with a tune-up fight whenever she’s ready. That’s an even better storyline than the immediate rematch: A fallen star begins her ascent back to the top.

With all the Rousey vitriol after that knockout at UFC 193, do you really think that storyline wouldn’t hold interest? Who wouldn’t tune in to watch Rousey tear apart whatever red meat the UFC deems fit to toss her? Do you really think she’d lose again?

Then, you can do the big title match—either Holm-Rousey II or Tate-Rousey III, only with Tate now holding the belt—late in 2016. And just like that, you’ve taken one big fight and turned it into three.

And another thing: By desperately rushing to make the immediate rematch, you’re tacitly admitting that every egg is in the Rousey basket. That undermines Holm, a perfectly good and very popular new champion who could grow into a big draw on her own under the right conditions. Why not create those conditions?

An immediate rematch suggests that the UFC sees Holm‘s win as a wrong in need of righting. That stymies any potential marketability she may have on her own, and given her public reception, there’s reason to believe that potential is significant.

Instead of one huge golden goose in the women’s bantamweight division, you now have two or three medium-sized golden geese. You’re turning, let’s say, 1 million pay-per-view buys for one event into 600,000 buys for two or three events.

You’re spreading out your chips—a particularly canny strategy considering Rousey seems inclined to retire in the not-unforeseeable future.

So let this thing breathe a little bit. Let it germinate. Let people wonder and let them find out. You’ve got everyone on the line. Take your time reeling them in.

Scott Harris writes about MMA for Bleacher Report. Follow Scott on Twitter if you feel so inclined.

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