Holm vs. Rousey

[yeniseri]

Great encounter for both!
I noticed Rousey had a high body fat (eyeball test!)and she seemed to move with "forced energy" while lacking her usual spritely demeanour. The only way to beat a grappler is to stay away while developing the striking game (as in boxing). Holm's strategy of staying away while strengtherning her own toolbox served her well.

[shawnsegler]

Striking over grappling everytime.

She's 12 - 1 now so that's one time out of every 13 actually..., :-p

Not supporting the "every time" quote, but FWIW the 12-1 out of 13 as a determinent of the value of one or the other doesn't really hold water since not one of those first 12 was any sort of challenge. They were all ridiculously 1 sided.

Just sayin.

S

[Mr_Wood]

Holm took her to pieces, I think a rematch would be just as good if not better with a similar outcome.

[Ba-men]

Striking over grappling everytime.

She's 12 - 1 now so that's one time out of every 13 actually..., :-p

Agreed... and I'm a striker.

Just the talk of striking over grappling kinda makes me cringe.. Holms grappled big time. Maybe her takedown defense or the many counters against Rousey game got lost by the masses...
But what I saw was Holm's grappling skill making it possible for her to enact her game plan (her stand up) upon Rousey. Can't strike when your flat on your back... Can't strike when your clueless how to defend yourself on the ground.

All that said...

Holms said pre fight that she wasn't in the same class as all the other fighters Rousey has fought. (that showed....big time) Given Rousey pre fight antics... (very un Rousey like) was Rousey intimidated by Holms?

With Holms being a World champion in boxing with a strong pedigree in kick boxing.. Rousey IMO is in trouble of getting defeated twice... You can't teach that hand skill..to the level of world class.... You either have it or not. And Holm's grappling looks strong enough to thwart Rousey's world class grappling long enough to get stood up... which amounts to Advantage Striker... (such is the way of the current UFC rule set) I think Rousey would have the advantage "Big time" under the original UFC rule set. 20 min rds... no standing combatants up... Makes for one boring fight though. I remember watching Gracie and Shamrock roll around for what seemed forever! just to have a draw declared.

[tastydurian]

I have to admit that the KO was damn satisfying due to Ronda's cocky behavior and her psychotic antics at the weigh-in. That said I admit I only started watching WMMA due to Ronda with the first Miesha fight back in Strikeforce and hope the loss was a wakeup call to make some changes. Her judo really is beautiful to watch.

[Ian]

Striking over grappling everytime.

Not according to reality:

[GrahamB]

Striking over grappling everytime.

She's 12 - 1 now so that's one time out of every 13 actually..., :-p

Agreed... and I'm a striker.

Just the talk of striking over grappling kinda makes me cringe.. Holms grappled big time. Maybe her takedown defense or the many counters against Rousey game got lost by the masses...
But what I saw was Holm's grappling skill making it possible for her to enact her game plan (her stand up) upon Rousey. Can't strike when your flat on your back... Can't strike when your clueless how to defend yourself on the ground.

All that said...

Holms said pre fight that she wasn't in the same class as all the other fighters Rousey has fought. (that showed....big time) Given Rousey pre fight antics... (very un Rousey like) was Rousey intimidated by Holms?

With Holms being a World champion in boxing with a strong pedigree in kick boxing.. Rousey IMO is in trouble of getting defeated twice... You can't teach that hand skill..to the level of world class.... You either have it or not. And Holm's grappling looks strong enough to thwart Rousey's world class grappling long enough to get stood up... which amounts to Advantage Striker... (such is the way of the current UFC rule set) I think Rousey would have the advantage "Big time" under the original UFC rule set. 20 min rds... no standing combatants up... Makes for one boring fight though. I remember watching Gracie and Shamrock roll around for what seemed forever! just to have a draw declared.

I agree, Rousey is never going to match Holm standing, but I think she needs to work more on wrestling to get the take downs. It was evident that her Judo relies too much on the upper body clinch which Holm is never going to let her get. If she could shoot for a double leg with ease it would add another string to her bow.

(He says with zero fight experience in MMA )

[Michael]

Striking over grappling everytime.

Not according to reality:

How do we know what percentage of submissions were set up by striking? Or what percentage of TKO/KO/Stoppage was due to striking? Or decisions, for that matter?

/ accurate sarcasm

[GrahamB]

Great brakedown of how Holm countered Rhonda using.... er...grappling...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3stwtCmWTA

[Strange]

抗兵相若 哀家胜
when the strength of 2 armies are equal; the aggrieved party wins

[yeniseri]

Great brakedown of how Holm countered Rhonda using.... er...grappling...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3stwtCmWTA

Holm knew she could not come out cold and subdue Rousey because that was Rousey's skill so (just a guess ) she had to maintain 'a distance' to wear Rousey down (who did not appear spirited at all as she looked confused and stumped after a few hits!). Holm, to succeed, had to always move away then come back to "test" see how the striking was doing and when Rousey was "weak" enough, Holm pounced at the opportunty we saw at the end. My imperfect observation may be off but it seemed close to what I observed. For Holm to stay within the reach of Rousey, it would have had a different ending

Just to add that she fought the same way she trained...BTW there is a short of some of her training routine since she started out as a kickboxer but complemented it with striking (boxing/fistacuffs)

[Ah Louis]

I am going to say this, it's simply entertainment. Rousey, it was know she was preparing for the big (Mayweather) showdown with Cyborg. Rousey took the fight thinking (believing the hype) she could work her stand up skills. It was evident Rousey was set on not relaying on her grappling skills to win the fight. She wanted a K.O. not thinking she would be buying the K.O.

I agree she had more body fat, another indicator besides fighting Holms, Rousey was preparing for Cyborg. During the fight, it was clear Rousey could take a punch but couldn't withstand the punishment. Holms hard planted strikes took a toll fluctuating Rousey's stamina and lucidity.

Rousey wasn't delivering her grappling goods. She let Holms off easy allowing the fight to return to stand up. Where Rousey was indicated she lack of stand up skill. Rousey was out matched.

Rousey's fatal mistake was her under estimation of an opponent fighting in a style she isn't experienced at, and her opponent's fight as a way to promote the Cyborg fight. The UFC is in the business of entertainment, just like a movie studio. They all under estimated that Holms would go off script and K.O. a battered Rousey.

Rousey is no longer a fighter, she is an entertainer for the UFC. She has the ego of a Diva, believing her own hype. She has greedy agents, money mongering managers, and bottom-line studio all around her she is listening too making bad career decisions. Fame is what K.O. Rousey long before Holms K.O. her. Holms was hungry, raw and focused. Rousey wasn't. She was fat and comfortable on the top, believing no one could beat her. The most dangerous place to be, as Holms pointed out.

[Michael]

Great brakedown of how Holm countered Rhonda using.... er...grappling...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3stwtCmWTA

Enjoyed the analysis.

[Andy_S]

Frankly surprised that Rousey, with her vaunted BJJ skills, did not utilize BJJ Lesson #1 - ie how to get up from the deck.

Instead, she turned her back on her oppo - a beginner error - and turned into Holms' head kick. Sweet dreams.

[tastydurian]

Possibly one of the funniest fan videos of the fight: http://www.thrillon.com/tag/joe-rogan-b ... om-ufc-193

Also, the Street Fighter edit: