Retired boxing champion Laila Ali doesn’t think Ronda Rousey will fare well in her inevitable rematch with Holly Holm.
While Holly Holm is slated to defend her bantamweight title against Miesha Tate at UFC 196, it’s expected that win or lose, she will rematch Ronda Rousey at some point in the future.
Holm, 34, shocked the world when she dominated and KO’d Rousey at UFC 193 in November, cementing herself as the #1 women’s bantamweight in the world. “The Preacher’s Daughter” entered the bout as a massive underdog but walked away with UFC gold wrapped around her waist.
Rousey, who had developed a Mike Tyson-like air of invincibility, had taken the MMA game by storm when she made her UFC debut in 2013. The Olympic bronze medalist had finished all of her fights, with only one going past the 1st round. Since losing to Holm, “Rowdy” has shied away from the media but recently re-embraced the spotlight as the host of NBC’s Saturday Night Live sketch show.
Daughter of Muhammad Ali and a boxing legend in her own right, Laila Ali doesn’t think Rousey will be able to bounce back against Holm. In fact, the 38-year-old thinks Holm will be even more dominant in the rematch.
“I personally do not think that she’ll beat Holly Holm [in a rematch],” Ali said in an interview with Chael Sonnen (h/t MMA Fighting). “I think that if she fought her again, then the same thing and worse will happen. Holly Holm was just getting warmed up. You know what I’m saying? She was just getting warmed up. She had nerves, too. This was her big moment.”
Even when Rousey-Mania was at its peak against Bethe Correia at UFC 190 — Ronda obliterated Correia in the 1st round — Ali noticed holes in her boxing game.
“I noticed right away when the fight started, I was like, ‘She doesn’t have any head movement,'” Ali said. “She came straight in and she got busted in the face so many times where she had a bloody nose.
“I saw that the girl she fought wasn’t really a challenge for her, but I was able to see her mistakes. Not moving your head is a big mistake when you’re getting into the ring with someone who has a boxing background.”
It’s understood that Rousey is still recovering from the loss and the former champion is expected to take on Holly Holm after UFC 196 concludes on March 5th in Las Vegas, Nevada.