Last weekend we saw one of the most dominant athletes in the world get destroyed. It wasn’t a fluke either. Ronda Rousey was truly dominated from bell to bell by her opponent and new UFC bantamweight champion, Holly Holms.
Holms — previously a professional boxer with multiple championship belts under her, uh, belt — was elusive and measured in her approach. The perfect matador to Rousey’s recklessly charging bull. At times, the disparity between the two was almost comical. Rousey grew more and more frustrated, nearly falling face-first into the cage wall when Holm ducked yet another punching flurry.
The fight came to an almighty end in round two, with a beautifully timed head kick during a chaotic scramble. Rousey fell to the floor, looking less like the most dominant athlete in sports and more like a spilled sack of potatoes. The ref hesitated on the stoppage, allowing Holm to land two more (unnecessary) shots to Rousey’s bloody battered, face. It was a finish that was equally gorgeous and ugly, but there was no question as to who had won. Holm fought a brilliant fight. She exploited every known hole in Rousey’s game. It was amazing to watch.
However, even though Holms clearly overwhelmed Rousey with her style and precision, a rematch was almost certain as soon as the fight ended.
But does Ronda really deserve the rematch?
Rousey is an amazing fighter and this one defeat doesn’t turn her into a bad one at all. Her past record — and the manner in which those victories were recorded — obviously speaks for herself. But everybody who watched that fight agrees she got thoroughly and comprehensively beaten. Holly Holm’s, a professional boxer by background, punished her with a series of nasty combinations. It was a clear clash of styles and in the end it wasn’t even close.
Let’s face it – just because you lost the crown in the first place doesn’t mean you have an everlasting, inevitable right to immediately redeem it. It’s what makes title bouts so interesting: a harsh, subjective power dynamic that rest solely in the hands of the person at the top. Start stripping that away, and it all becomes rather pointless.
Muhammad Ali got his rematch with Ken Norton because he lost his title in a 12-round split decision. Sugar Ray Leonard got his rematch with Roberto Duran after losing a 15-round decision. Mike Tyson fought Evander Holyfield again after getting knocked out in the 11th of 12 rounds. Floyd Mayweather gave Marcos Maidana a rematch because the Argentinian gave him what was probably the toughest fight of his career. The list could go on.
Were she not Ronda Rousey, the idea of an immediate rematch after this debacle would’ve been laughable.
The biggest priority right now for Ronda is to take some time out and recover – both psychically and mentally. She then needs to go back and prove, as countless fighters before her have done and many after her will, that she’s mature enough to come back bigger and better.
The rematch will happen. But first Ronda needs time.
