RONDA Rousey got her bell rung and then the bell rung. The three-time defending UFC bantamweight champion saw her quest for a fourth consecutive title end fifty-nine seconds into the second round of her UFC 193 bought with Holly Holm.
Holm’s November 14th victory, or rather Rousey’s loss, is being billed as the biggest upset in the history of the UFC. Those tuning in on TV and the over 70, 000 spectators at Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium showed states of shock and awe as Holm (10-0) dealt Rousey, previously unbeaten in 12, her first loss.
An emphatic left-footed roundhouse kick to the jaw and neck sent Rousey to the mat, knocked out, and Holm into jubilation.
The 28-year-old Rousey had destroyed her competition in her first 12 UFC matches earning her golden-girl status among the fighting world and earnings that made her the top-paid fighter (male or female) in the UFC.
Rousey had won 11 of her 12 fights within the first round and eight of 12 within a minute. Her previous three matches took a combined 64 seconds to complete.
Her popularity led to her being anounced recently as the cover athlete on EA Sports’ UFC 2 video game and earned her appearances in films such as The Expendables 3, Furious 7, and Entourage.
However, Rousey failed to speedily finish off her fellow American. In fact, she failed to establish much of an attack at all on Holm, who is six years her elder.
Holm controlled the fight from start to finish with her strong and calculated strikes to Rousey’s face and body. She also managed to dodge Rousey’s takedown attempts and signature armbar grapple that Rousey had used to win nine matches.
Rousey was far from the dominant competitor shown in her earlier matches, often missing Holm entirely on her punches. One such occasion sent her face-first into the octagon cage.
The fight’s first 20 seconds saw Rousey left with a large welt under her right eye. The second exchange between the two saw Rousey suffer a damaged nose and a visible large red mark on her face.
In addition to Rousey’s body and record, the fight also did heavy damage to the gambling industry, as Rousey was favoured by nearly everyone to win. The MGM sportsbook reported their biggest loss ever on a UFC event. However, one lucky fan bet $20,000 on Holm and ended up taking home over $240,000.
There was some animosity between the two combatants before the bout took place. At the weigh-in, Rousey got up close and personal with her opponent and Holm stuck a fist in Rousey’s face in retaliation.
This led to Rousey posting on Instagram that Holm was a “fake ass cheap shotting fake respect fake humility bitch…”
Despite Rousey’s earlier comments, Holm stopped celebrating her victory and took a knee while doctors tended to her unconscious opponent.
“I hope this inspires people,” Holm said, talking about her win in a ringside interview with Joe Rogan.
Fans will have to wait a while for a discussed rematch. Rousey told reporters before the match that she’d be taking a break after UFC 193 regardless of the outcome. The UFC has also handed Rousey a 180-day medical suspension that could be lifted with a negative X-Ray scan of her head.
Mac White
Featured image: Remezcla