The upset of the year happened Saturday. Holly Holm became the new UFC women’s bantamweight champion by knocking out Ronda Rousey in the second round in Melbourne, Australia.
Holm surprisingly dominated the fight from the get-go. She let the …
The upset of the year happened Saturday. Holly Holm became the new UFC women’s bantamweight champion by knocking out Ronda Rousey in the second round in Melbourne, Australia.
Holm surprisingly dominated the fight from the get-go. She let the fight come to her and got some clear shots to Rousey’s face toward the end of the first round. Holm ended the fight with a kick to the side of the head a minute into the second round for the stunning upset.
Twitter, of course, had some reactions. Here are a few, starting with Phil “CM Punk” Brooks:
A lot of boxing references were made, one of them from Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports:
ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael shared his thoughts on the kick heard ’round the world:
Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports noted that a pure boxer got in the ring with Rousey and fought a well-calculated match:
Fox Sports’ Jon Anik also commented on the no-longer-undefeated Rousey:
CBS Sports’ Will Brinson thought Rousey played the role of Michigan for the night:
ESPN.com’s Ramona Shelburne captured the emotion of one of the biggest upsets in fighting history:
CBS Sports went there and pulled the Undertaker-losing-at-Wrestlemania card:
Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, who also involves himself in the MMA world, shared his thoughts on Holm’s huge victory:
One of Rousey’s biggest rivals, Miesha Tate, took the chance to throw a little shade at the former champion:
As the fight was going on, the Golden State Warriors-Brooklyn Nets game was just going into overtime. Dallas Mavericks play-by-play broadcaster Mark Followill didn’t know which surprised him more:
Boxing legend Lennox Lewis thought Rousey made one huge mistake throughout the course of the fight:
Actress Ruby Rose was beyond disappointed Rousey suffered her first defeat:
ESPN Stats & Info dove into just how thoroughly Holm dominated Rousey:
Boxing legend George Foreman lent his support to Rousey:
Reebok also expressed its support to one of its top stars:
More shocking than Rousey simply losing was that Holm dominated her like that. Holm dictated every facet of the fight, from the pace to the actual striking ability. She baited Rousey into coming after her, and it cost the former champion.
This is one of the bigger upsets in sports history, and a new name rests atop the bantamweight division for the first time ever.
At the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, on Saturday night, challenger Holly Holm made history when she first dropped bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey with a punch in Round 2 at UFC 193 and then knocked her out cold with a vicious head kick as …
At the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, on Saturday night, challenger Holly Holm made history when she first dropped bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey with a punch in Round 2 at UFC 193 and then knocked her out cold with a vicious head kick as Rousey stood back up.
Rousey fell to the mat with her eyes closed, and as Holm landed a few punches, referee Herb Dean rushed in to stop the fight. With Rousey’s first loss, Holm picked off the only other undefeated women’s bantamweight in the promotion.
It was a shocking upset for an event many had written off as another easy victory for Rousey.
Round 1 Recap
There was a left from Ronda before a one-two, one strike from Holly. A couple more from Ronda preceded a brief exchange. Ronda threw a few and Holly retreated. Holly was light on her feet and good at darting in and out while tagging Ronda.
Ronda went in for the clinch and takedown; Holly staved off the takedown and got pushed up against the cage before escaping the clinch. Holly moved back into the middle and got tagged by a left from Ronda. A straight right from Holly followed, but Ronda kept advancing.
Hard elbow from Holly. Ronda clinched and took her down, going for the armbar. She didn’t get it. They stood back up. Overhand right from Ronda. Low front kick from Holly. Holly ducked a punch from Ronda. Ronda got a Russian tie, but Holly pulled out of it and landed a left.
This was the most ineffective Ronda had looked.
Big left from Holly. After an exchange, Holm’s mouthpiece fell out. They reset after she retrieved it. Holly went for a takedown and got it after receiving an overhand right from Ronda, then fell briefly into Ronda’s guard. Holly disengaged and they stood.
Ronda went in with wild strikes, but Holly evaded her with ease. Ronda got an arm drag and grabbed Holly’s head but couldn’t hold onto it after exchanging some knees. Ronda got a strike in a split second after the bell. Her mouth was bloody, and she was visibly fatigued.
Round 2 Recap
Holly started with a straight left and two left jabs. She followed those up with a body kick. Holly ducked under a left from Ronda, and Ronda fell to one knee and looked confused for a moment before turning back to the center. After a brief exchange, Holly dropped Ronda with a punch; as Ronda stood back up, Holly KO’d Ronda with a head kick.
Ronda was completely out. Her eyes were shut, and she was prostrate on the mat as Holm dropped into knee-on-belly and punched her a few more times on the ground. Dean stepped in to stop the fight at :59.
The roar from the crowd was almost deafening. As Holly processed her victory, Ronda remained on the ground, confused and seemingly out of it. The doctors and her coach, Edmond Tarverdyan, kept her from standing.
Holly then stood off to the side, her initial joy tempered by what seemed like some concern for Rousey—a look we’ve seen on her face before after she knocked out Allanna Jones at Legacy 21, also with a head kick.
Both fighters seemed to be in some state of surprise. Rousey looked in disbelief with eyes downcast as the official decision was announced. Holm was crying, and as Joe Rogan interviewed her, she couldn’t control the excitement and elation in her voice.
UFC 193 was already a history-making card, featuring two female title fights and possibly outperforming UFC 129’s record attendance in a 70,000-seat arena. There was little animosity leading up to Rousey’s eighth title defense, save for an incident at the weigh-ins, when Rousey claimed Holm’s fist touched her face during the staredown. Rousey responded so aggressively UFC president Dana White had to separate them.
When Rogan interviewed her afterward, Rousey spoke past him to Holm, saying:
All that respect, all that everything, all you being sweet—I see right now that it’s fake, and you’re gonna get it on Sunday. You’re not the first person that thought you had the perfect plan to beat me. It’s not the first time your camp thought they had the perfect plan to beat me.
Holm remained stoic throughout the exchange; neither her face nor her words betrayed any emotion.
Rousey then posted a video of the incident and a diatribe on Instagram that reflected her comments at the weigh-in (warning: NSFW text):
The odds heavily favored Rousey going into the fight, with few expecting Holm’s boxing could counter Rousey’s judo and aggression. This proved erroneous, as Holm orchestrated Rousey’s first loss in MMA.
Holm’s record remains undefeated at 10-0, while Rousey suffers her first loss to come in at 12-1. She also has some new, unwanted records:
Initially, Miesha Tate was thought to be Rousey’s next opponent, following Rousey’s KO of Bethe Correia at UFC 190, with White saying as much. But it was Holm who was tapped; the Rousey-Tate fight is one “everyone has already seen,” White told the Los Angeles Times‘ Lance Pugmire in August. But Tate has won her last four fights, and she remains a top-ranked bantamweight in a limited division.
From here, it’s most likely Rousey will be offered an immediate rematch against Holm. But there are several top-ranked bantamweights Rousey hasn’t faced under the UFC banner, including No. 3-ranked Amanda Nunes and The Ultimate Fighter 18 winner Julianna Pena.
Whomever Rousey fights next, expect to wait a while. After three title defenses in nine months and losing the title, a break would be understandable. She told Rolling Stone‘s Mike Bohn, “After this fight I’m definitely going to let some people miss me, for sure. Believe me, there’s nothing I would like to do more than disappear for a while. I would like to wait until UFC 200 to fight again.”
In the meantime, Rousey will be making movies, including a remake of Roadhouse and a Peter Berg film called Mile 22. UFC 200 is set to take place at the new Las Vegas Arena on July 9, 2016.
So far, Holm hasn’t commented on what might be next. Presumably, some reveling in her newfound title will be in order.
At the end of the rainbow, there was a fight.
UFC 193—and, yeah, that Ronda Rousey woman—occupied the center of the MMA world Saturday in Melbourne, Australia. Rousey, the UFC women’s bantamweight champion and black hole of endless hype, wa…
At the end of the rainbow, there was a fight.
UFC 193—and, yeah, that Ronda Rousey woman—occupied the center of the MMA world Saturday in Melbourne, Australia. Rousey, the UFC women’s bantamweight champion and black hole of endless hype, was out to defend her belt against former boxing champion Holly Holm.
Coming in, the 34-year-old Holm was only nine fights into her pro MMA career, though she did rack up a tidy 9-0 record during that run. Nevertheless, the relative greenness is probably a big reason why she was a major, major underdog coming into this fight.
The other reason was, you know, Rousey. Easily the best female MMA fighter ever.
No chance, right? Open and shut, correct? Why bother? Another photo op in the bag?
Well, this is why they fight the fights. Did I read that somewhere once?
There were also 12 other bouts on this card, including a co-main event featuring Joanna Jedrzejczyk, the electrifying women’s strawweight champ.
As always, the final stat lines only reveal so much. Read on—and you want to read on—for the real winners and losers from UFC 193.
For the literal-minded among us, full card results appear on the final slide.
UFC 193 was supposed to be another celebration of Ronda Rousey’s dominance. Instead, Holly Holm flipped the script and made it a historic night. She won the UFC women’s bantamweight title with a second-round knockout win over Rousey in the main event i…
UFC 193 was supposed to be another celebration of Ronda Rousey‘s dominance. Instead, Holly Holm flipped the script and made it a historic night. She won the UFC women’s bantamweight title with a second-round knockout win over Rousey in the main event in Melbourne, Australia.
Bloody Elbow tweeted the official result of Saturday’s bout:
The first round had all the makings of a legendary upset. Holm’s movement and technical boxing stunned Rousey as the challenger not only survived but also thrived. Holm not only caught Rousey with multiple left hands, but she also scored a takedown.
Brett Okamoto of ESPN summed up the first round:
In the second round, Holm came out ready to finish the job. A desperate Rousey tried to get up from a knockdown but was greeted with a head kick that ended her reign as champion and gave Holm the belt.
To make the knockout even more shocking, it was Holm’s first finish in the UFC. As noted by ESPN Stats & Info, all of her other knockouts came outside the UFC:
This wasn’t the kind of knockout that came with one fluke punch. Holm has to get credit for simply outstriking Rousey for the duration of the fight. ESPN Stats & Info provided the insight:
Holm is now a rarity in combat sports. Marcos Villegas of Fight Hub noted a club that currently has a membership of one in the new champion:
Although a massive amount of credit goes to Holm for employing a perfect game plan, Rousey’s performance was a disappointment. B/R’s Jonathan Snowden compared it to the first loss boxing great Mike Tyson took:
Snowden wasn’t the only one comparing this fight to Buster Douglas’ upset of Tyson so many years ago. Women’s bantamweight contender Julianna Pena took the opportunity to do some self-promotion after Holm’s win:
This fight will go down as one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. According to Odds Shark, Holm opened the fight as a 33-4 underdog. As Holm was facing the biggest star in the sport, who had finished every single opponent, there’s a reason why few gave Holm a chance to do what she ended up doing.
Two of the few who did were her trainers, Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn.
“She’s been the most dominating. That doesn’t mean she’s not beatable,” Holm said per Lance Pugmire of the Sacramento Bee. “Their confidence in me gives me confidence. They’ve been around so many big fights. … They’re serious with me, telling me what I did wrong. I don’t want them to sugarcoat it. They give me good direction.”
That direction was good enough to expose holes in Rousey’s game that others have not been able to find. Now, Holm is the undefeated champion.
Being a champion isn’t new to Holm. As a professional boxer, she won titles in three different weight classes. Now, she’s the champion of the women’s bantamweight division, which few saw coming.
Where the division goes from here is an interesting question. In general, champions as dominant as Rousey receive immediate rematches. However, Rousey expressed interest in taking some time off from the sport after this fight, per Mike Bohn of Rolling Stone:
After this fight, I’m definitely going to let some people miss me, for sure. Believe me, there’s nothing I would like to do more than disappear for a while.
I would like to wait until UFC 200 to fight again. I’m going to be filming [movies] in the meantime, so I’m still going to be keeping busy. When I’m filming it’s kind of weird, I’m on camera the whole time, but nothing really goes out until a year or two later. It is kind of like disappearing in a way.
A loss for the ultracompetitive Rousey could change things. The desire to avenge her loss could force her to get back in the cage earlier than anticipated. Of course, her desire to take some time off might be necessary to get back to being the force she was before her fight with Holm.
In a way, this setback could improve Rousey’s marketability as the UFC’s biggest star. A rematch with Holm is now one of the biggest fights the UFC could make.
Before UFC 193, everyone tuned in to watch Rousey’s dominance. Now, they’ll tune in to watch whether she can make a comeback.
MELBOURNE, AustraliaJust minutes after pulling off what UFC commentator Joe Rogan called the biggest upset in UFC history over the most dominant woman in the history of combat sports, Holly Holm was asked how she pulled off the impossible.Holm thought …
MELBOURNE, AustraliaJust minutes after pulling off what UFC commentator Joe Rogan called the biggest upset in UFC history over the most dominant woman in the history of combat sports, Holly Holm was asked how she pulled off the impossible.Holm thought back a few moments, to her walk out to the Octagon, her emotions swirling, and explained how she was able to stay composed.“I kept telling myself, ‘It’s right now. Don’t get too relaxed. Be confident in your training and be confident in yourself. Now is the time to perform.’ And I just kept running that through my he … Read the Full Article Here
Ronda Rousey was unbeatable. Invincible. Undefeated.She was the greatest ever.And then she was flat on her back, her face bloodied, knocked out cold and no longer the undisputed UFC’s women’s bantamweight champion.Who could have imagined th…
Ronda Rousey was unbeatable. Invincible. Undefeated.She was the greatest ever.And then she was flat on her back, her face bloodied, knocked out cold and no longer the undisputed UFC’s women’s bantamweight champion.Who could have imagined this?But Saturday night at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, Holly Holm proved to be the better boxer and better kicker, a fighter capable of staying out of Rousey’s range and delivering decisive shots. Rousey wanted to prove she could box, but she was no match for the more experienced Holm.More from UFC 193: Missed history? Order UFC 1 … Read the Full Article Here
The upset of the year happened Saturday. Holly Holm became the new UFC women’s bantamweight champion by knocking out Ronda Rousey in the second round in Melbourne, Australia.