Ronda Rousey, the UFC`s inaugural female champion, was historically dominant, often considered far superior to her competition during her incredible reign. Despite this, she recently faced calls to stay retired due to the rapid evolution of the sport since her departure. Before her seventh title defense, Rousey publicly maintained that the fight would not unfold according to her opponent`s strategy.
Her shocking knockout defeat to Holly Holm in the main event of UFC 193 marked the end of an iconic era. What was particularly notable was that `Rowdy,` despite anticipating Holm`s strategy, was unable to prevent the inevitable outcome, signifying a major shift in the division.
Ronda Rousey Knew Exactly How Holly Holm Was Going to Try and Beat Her at UFC 193
Today, Kayla Harrison, another fighter with a strong judo base, aims for the title of the greatest female MMA fighter. Long before Harrison’s arrival in the Octagon, Ronda Rousey employed a similar judo/grappling specialization, which allowed her to dominate opponents on the mat. However, the first defeat of her career occurred when her inability to successfully utilize her grappling exposed glaring weaknesses in her overall striking game.
Following the event, then-UFC President Dana White defended Rousey’s tactical choices, countering critics who noted how easily Holm maintained distance and landed strikes at will. While Rousey later conceded that her initial strategy quickly failed, she had been remarkably prescient about Holm`s intended approach.
During an appearance on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ a little over a month before the bout, the champion accurately foreshadowed the exact way she would lose her title:
“This one’s gonna be a much longer fight… She’s the type of fighter that you have to be very patient with. I feel like she’s going to try and keep distance and keep far away from me and get me frustrated to a point where I’ll make a mistake and she can try and kick me in the head but it’s not going to go like that. Not the way that she wants.”
Ronda Rousey Had No Reason to Doubt Herself Heading Into UFC 193
Despite the tough prediction, Rousey spoke highly of Holm during her promotional appearances, recognizing that Holm`s style presented her toughest challenge yet. However, given that Rousey had faced virtually no adversity in her previous bouts—her four preceding title defenses all ended in the first round, with only one lasting beyond the one-minute mark—she had little reason for self-doubt.
Reflecting her confidence (and aggressiveness), Rousey had previously joked about her opponents during a 2015 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live:
“If I make the fight fast, that means I like you. That’s me at my most merciful. She got to go home with a payment to go buy a house. She had a great night if you think about it. But, with this next chick, who I don’t like, it’s not going to be like that. She’s going to walk out looking different than she did walking in.”
