Tweet
Holly Holm KOs Ronda Rousey in second round of UFC 193
Last time an upset this big happened is when Matt Serra knocked out Georges St. Pierre to win title eight years ago.
Last time an upset this big happened is when Matt Serra knocked out Georges St. Pierre to win title eight years ago.
MELBOURNE, Australia -- No one is unbeatable in mixed martial arts. Not even Ronda Rousey.
Former world boxing champion Holly Holm (10-0) scored the biggest upset in the sport's history Sunday, knocking out Rousey (12-1) with a left head kick in the second round to claim the UFC bantamweight championship fight. The fight headlined UFC 193 inside Etihad Stadium, which was the first MMA event ever held in Melbourne.
The shocking result came 59 seconds into the second round, after Rousey had already been stunned several times by left hands. After Rousey ducked in desperately for a clinch, Holm broke off at an angle and landed a clean left head kick to the jawline that rendered Rousey unconscious. Referee Herb Dean stepped in immediately, as Rousey fell limp, arms extended, to the canvas. Rousey was taken to a hospital after the fight.
"I don't know, I'm trying to take it all in. This is crazy!" Holm said immediately afterward. "Getting in here, I just felt so much support -- I thought, 'How can I not do this with all this support?' I had the best coaching, from standup to grappling to wrestling.
"I have to say, everything we worked on presented itself in the fight. Every grab she tried to get, on the cage, I have not spent this much time in the gym before any fight in my life."
A former Olympic medalist in judo, Rousey was clearly willing to trade punches with Holm. She opened the fight throwing left hooks and straight rights and didn't attempt her first takedown until nearly two minutes into the first round.
Holm handled Rousey's boxing pressure beautifully. She started to find a home for the straight left early and went back to it time and again. Rousey's face was reddened within the first exchanges and her striking defense went out the window as she became obsessed with keeping a high pace on Holm. Holm calmly circled away from the pressure and avoided eating a big shot. She allowed Rousey to graze her with a few right hands, but never appeared fazed by any of them.
Midway through the round, Rousey managed to drag Holm to the ground but did not do so with the same authority she traditionally has. The two fell awkwardly to the mat, where Rousey transitioned to her go-to armbar. Holm was never in serious danger however, as she cleared the arm and quickly got back to her feet.
Facing real adversity for arguably the first time in her MMA career, Rousey's response was more pressure in the second round. She stalked forward with her hands down, however, and nearly fell over after throwing a wild, ineffective haymaker. Holm remained patient through it all.
Holm, who trains out of Jackson-Winkeljohn in Albuquerque, New Mexico, becomes the second female bantamweight champion in UFC history, halting Rousey's run of six consecutive title defenses. It is the seventh knockout win of Holm's MMA career and is the quickest finish of her MMA career.
Former world boxing champion Holly Holm (10-0) scored the biggest upset in the sport's history Sunday, knocking out Rousey (12-1) with a left head kick in the second round to claim the UFC bantamweight championship fight. The fight headlined UFC 193 inside Etihad Stadium, which was the first MMA event ever held in Melbourne.
The shocking result came 59 seconds into the second round, after Rousey had already been stunned several times by left hands. After Rousey ducked in desperately for a clinch, Holm broke off at an angle and landed a clean left head kick to the jawline that rendered Rousey unconscious. Referee Herb Dean stepped in immediately, as Rousey fell limp, arms extended, to the canvas. Rousey was taken to a hospital after the fight.
"I don't know, I'm trying to take it all in. This is crazy!" Holm said immediately afterward. "Getting in here, I just felt so much support -- I thought, 'How can I not do this with all this support?' I had the best coaching, from standup to grappling to wrestling.
"I have to say, everything we worked on presented itself in the fight. Every grab she tried to get, on the cage, I have not spent this much time in the gym before any fight in my life."
A former Olympic medalist in judo, Rousey was clearly willing to trade punches with Holm. She opened the fight throwing left hooks and straight rights and didn't attempt her first takedown until nearly two minutes into the first round.
Holm handled Rousey's boxing pressure beautifully. She started to find a home for the straight left early and went back to it time and again. Rousey's face was reddened within the first exchanges and her striking defense went out the window as she became obsessed with keeping a high pace on Holm. Holm calmly circled away from the pressure and avoided eating a big shot. She allowed Rousey to graze her with a few right hands, but never appeared fazed by any of them.
Midway through the round, Rousey managed to drag Holm to the ground but did not do so with the same authority she traditionally has. The two fell awkwardly to the mat, where Rousey transitioned to her go-to armbar. Holm was never in serious danger however, as she cleared the arm and quickly got back to her feet.
Facing real adversity for arguably the first time in her MMA career, Rousey's response was more pressure in the second round. She stalked forward with her hands down, however, and nearly fell over after throwing a wild, ineffective haymaker. Holm remained patient through it all.
Holm, who trains out of Jackson-Winkeljohn in Albuquerque, New Mexico, becomes the second female bantamweight champion in UFC history, halting Rousey's run of six consecutive title defenses. It is the seventh knockout win of Holm's MMA career and is the quickest finish of her MMA career.
Comment