Among her many media obligations in the lead-up to her UFC bantamweight title defense in Melbourne on Sunday, Ronda Rousey answered questions for nearly 50 straight minutes among a massive scrum of reporters. Perhaps the most interesting thing she said came as a declaration: Holly Holm, the massive underdog challenger, could not knock her out. No one could, Rousey went on to say, her chin was too good.
In just over six minutes Holm – unbeaten in nine mixed martial arts contests after a highly successful career as a world champion boxer – not only disproved that statement, she offered a wakeup call to the MMA world and a new legion of UFC watchers who had been drawn to cagefighting by Rousey’s exploding stardom over the last couple of years.
Holm, nicknamed “The Preacher’s Daughter” put together a perfect performance. From start to finish, the fight was hers, who either cast aside the charged bull of a champion or stuck her with knives in the neck when the opportunity presented itself. And it did often.
In Rousey’s previous six title defenses, she faced opponents who sought to meet her aggression. While Holm didn’t meet Rousey’s charge head on yet she hardly shied away from the action. She initiated much of it. And made the most of it.
After refusing to touch gloves, Rousey tried to take down her 34-year-old opponent. The first strong left-hand lead from the southpaw challenger was clean. And like any stung bull Rousey chased. In her previous three fights Rousey had fought a total of 64 seconds. Following the first minute in a cage with Holm, Rousey was red-eyed and snarling. Chase. Chase. Chase. And for all the effort it was left hand after left hand from the challenger, whose calm proved to be the perfect antidote to Rousey’s charged encounters.
Attempts to engage in a clinch, thought by most to be the position Rousey would dominate Holm with, were neutralized. Holm even dared to take down Rousey. The champion seemed to flirt with the idea of finding an armbar but Holm was well prepared after a lifetime spent in the Albuquerque gym of Greg Jackson and Mike Winklejohn. By the end of the first round, Rousey’s mouth and nose were covered in her own blood.
“We figured the pressure was coming,” Holm said after the belt was placed around her waist. “I have to say everything we worked on presented itself in the fight. Every route she tried to get.”
Rousey made no adjustment in her corner between the first and second rounds, and charged straight ahead at her challenger. Fifty-nine seconds into the second, Holm put down Rousey after a left straight snapped the Californian’s jaw. Holm followed with a perfect left high kick that jarred its way into the neck of a woman so many young girls around America pretended to be on Halloween.
Rousey’s reached heights no mixed martial artist ever had, and even before taking a devastating loss had already spoke about leaving the sport. UFC president Dana White noted he expected Rousey to fight six more times. That was before his star with an eye towards Hollywood went down. Source; hard. http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/nov/15/holly-holm-stuns-ronda-rousey-for-ufc-womens-bantamweight-title
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