Holly Holm (10-0 MMA, 3-0, UFC) caused one of the biggest upsets in the UFC and in sports this year when she knocked out Ronda Rousey (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) in the second round of their fight at UFC 193 to become the new bantamweight of the world in Melbourne, Australia.
And it was no fluke. Holm completely dominated the champion for the duration of the fight, repeatedly tagging her with straight left hands that had Rousey in trouble from the outset. Rousey tried to pressure Holm from the start, but all she succeeded in doing was to keep walking into punches from Holm that left her bloodied and shaky on her feet.
The 56,214 record UFC attendance could hardly believe the beatdown that was unfolding. In the second round, Holm picked up where she left off, timing her shots beautifully. Rousey fell down after an exchange and as she got up, Holm caught her with a high kick that separated the champion from her senses. Rousey face planted on to the canvas and Holm rained three shots on the unconscious champion before referee Herb Dean jumped in and ended the fight with 0:59 gone in the stanza. Check out some of the fight highlights.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=2PS-lmNw0Yk
Rousey received stitches for a mouth injury and spent the night in the hospital. She will have to regroup after this devastating loss, and it will be interesting to see how she rebounds from this stunning upset. For Holm, her era as champion now begins, but no doubt a rematch could be on the cards. Here is the reaction of UFC President Dana White after the fight:
