Ronda Rousey is going to have a helluva hard time trying to figure out a way to defeat Holly Holm and so are her coaches. Is it possible? Anything is possible, but the betting odds should now be reversed from when the two first fought.
We all slept on Holm. We didn’t fully consider her aptitude and the clash of styles between her rangy kickboxing and grappling defense and Rousey’s brawling-judo style. She avoided the dreaded armbar of death, trophies of which hang around Rousey’s neck like the Hindu Goddess Kali, but instead of heads, it’s arms.
For all intents-and-purposes Rousey was at goddess level to the public at large. She was adored for her good looks, brash attitude and the ability to back it up. It seemed everything she touched turned to gold. But like any good myth, real adversity must strike. There is no triumph without defeat and no one remains untouchable.
Many are clamoring for the Rousey-Holm rematch, or are they? Here’s what I think needs to happen next. Rousey should move up to 145-pounds giving incentive to the UFC to create a new women’s featherweight division. She should then fight Cris Cyborg at 145-pounds and the winner will be crowned champion.
In the meantime Holm is still dealing damage at bantamweight — or she gets defeated by the likes of Miesha Tate or Cat Zingano. Either way, Rousey has moved on and the rematch with Holm is put on the burner — where it needs to be. Trust me. That’s where it needs to be.
The rematch will happen. But it should happen at the right time. An immediate rematch to cash in just because you can is definitely not the right move. Rousey will get worked. The difference in skill in their standup is too great at this point, just as Ronda’s judo skill allowed her to dominate earlier opponents.
Rousey has a better chance of beating Cyborg at this point than she does Holly Holm. Cyborg is aggressive just like Rousey, she’ll get inside and tie up where Rousey is most at home. Ronda will really need to bulk up in my opinion if she is to fight Cyborg at featherweight. Frankly, she looked flabby against Holm. If she came in like that against Cyborg, she’d likely get tossed around like a ragdoll. Holm seemed to be able to muscle her at 135, just imagine what Cyborg would do.
What happens if Ronda loses to Cyborg? They could do an immediate rematch or she could move back down to fight Holm or someone else. If Ronda wins then the UFC has her back as champ and the rivalry between her and Holm will only grow. Ronda moving up to 145 and fighting Cyborg next is the right move.