It’s been more than two months since Ronda Rousey suffered her first career loss against Holly Holm at UFC 193, but the former women’s bantamweight champion has not stopped to look at footage from the match.
Speaking to Brett Okamoto of ESPNW.com, Rousey’s coach, Edmond Tarverdyan, said his fighter may never watch video from her knockout defeat.
It’s not about wanting to watch, it’s about whether or not the timing is right or if it’s even necessary.
I know how to speak to Ronda. I know Ronda very well. She doesn’t need to watch that fight. The fight is over. It’s about what we’re doing now. It’s my job to watch the footage and I’m dedicating everything I have to Ronda’s rematch with Holly.
Every athlete is different in their process before a game or match and afterwards. Tarverdyan has been with Rousey long enough to know what she needs to do before getting back in the Octagon.
Tarverdyan also accepted blame for Rousey’s loss due to some criticism she received after the November bout, with Okamoto specifically citing Rousey’s mother speaking out against her daughter’s coach.
“I’m taking the blame,” Tarverdyan told Okamoto. “I’m OK with that. I know what reality is. I accept reality. Reality is people will talk all kinds of unnecessary stuff. As long as my fighter believes in me, I believe in my fighter and we’ll move on from there.”
Even though Tarverdyan mentions a rematch between Rousey and Holm, the match has not been officially announced. Holm will be defending the women’s bantamweight title against Miesha Tate on Mar. 5 at UFC 196.
The assumption before Holm took the bout with Tate was that UFC would pit the champion against Rousey at UFC 200, but Tarverdyan told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne that Rousey has film commitments and needs more rest after fighting three times last year.
It’s fashionable to overreact when a seemingly unstoppable athlete loses. Holm happened to be better on that particular night and earned her victory. Rousey doesn’t need to dwell on what happened in order to get revenge in her rematch.
The 28-year-old superstar will be mentally and physically ready for her rematch with Holm, whenever that takes place.
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