For a while there, it seemed as if we were all but destined to see Ronda Rousey take on her arch-rival not named Cyborg for a third time following their respective wins over Bethe Correia and Jessica Eye, but today brings word of a fight many of us probably didn’t see coming.
During an appearance on Good Morning America earlier today, Rousey herself made the announcement that her next title defense won’t be against Miesha Tate, nor will it be against Cyborg, but against former pro boxer/kickboxer turned undefeated MMA fighter Holly Holm, at UFC 195. Or to put it another way: The lamb has passed through the gate. It has come to the killing floor. Its blind eyes see nothing of the horrors to come.
Perhaps the reason most of us didn’t foresee Holm as the next logical title challenger/victim is due to the pair of performances she has put on thus far in the UFC, which can at best be described as “underwhelming.” Holm may have built up a reputation as “the best striker in women’s MMA” and will surely be lauded as “the best striker Rousey has ever faced” (see previously: Correia, B.), but she hasn’t exactly been annihilating her (somewhat unremarkable opposition) in the UFC like she was on the regional circuit.
In her promotional debut, Holm cruised to a unanimous decision over TUF 18 alum Raquel Pennington at UFC 184, and likewise wasn’t able to put away a Marion Reneau that was offering her absolutely nothing offensively at Fight Night 71. Now, she faces a champion with a 100% finishing rate. I’m probably in the minority here, but I see this thing lasting roughly a minute before the inevitable inevitably happens. But at least it’ll be a new face laying face down when all is said and done, right guys?
Then again, I suppose if Rousey decides to charge in wildly like she did against Correia, there’s a chance that Holm could make her pay for it. Time will tell, I guess (and that time will be 1:08 of round 1).
UFC 195 goes down on at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 2nd, 2016.
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