Holly Holm Gives Her Opinion On Potential Ronda Rousey Comeback
Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm returns at UFC 208. Since defeating Ronda Rousey in the upset of 2015, fortunes have been mixed for Holm. After losing the belt to Miesha Tate, ‘The Preacher’s Daughter’ dropped a decision to Valentina Shevchenko. Then, amid the madness of Cris Cyborg‘s failed drug test, Holm emerged as a title contender; Not at bantamweight, but instead at featherweight for the inaugural title. Facing Germaine De Randamie, Holm could become the first ever two-division women’s champion.
Having overcome stacked odds at UFC 193, Holm’s victory over ‘Rowdy’ is still heavily discussed today. Before that night in Australia, Rousey was smashing through the competition. Throughout 2016 Rousey’s tribulations were well publicized, and her own comeback to the octagon saw another devastating loss. During a 48-second demolition at the hands of Amanda Nunes, ‘Rowdy’ also lost her second in a row. Earlier this week Holm’s coach said his fighter had ‘broken’ Rousey, a statement Holm does not agree with.
“She Might Come Back”
Speaking during the UFC 208 media call, as quoted by MMAFighting’s Chuck Mindenhall, Holm says Rousey was not broken after UFC 193. ‘The Preacher’s Daughter’ acknowledges she may have ‘loosened the lid’ for Amanda Nunes, but also says ‘Rowdy’ could still return:
“I’m one of those that, I’m a firm believer in the fact that once a fighter, always a fighter. She might not ever want to fight again. She might not fight for two years, and then she might say, ‘You know what? I’m really egging for it. I want to get back in there, I really want to fight. I’ve had enough of this regular life business.’ You know?”
“I guess I don’t really feel like I broke her, but I do know that coming off of a knockout, when I knocked her out, yes — that helped the fight with Nunes [end] faster. I don’t mean that in any rude way,”
Thoughts
Similarly to when Holm beat her, Rousey has come under fire for her choice of gym. Coach Edmond Tarverdyan has been labelled by fellow fighters and pundits as ‘inadequate’ to train professionals. Should she eventually choose to return, as Holm opines, surely a switch of camps would be a prudent move. UFC president Dana White recently all-but confirmed Rousey’s retirement. Saying she is ‘done’ is one thing, but the ever-present lure of the octagon has been historically hard to resist.
