Ronda Rousey warned that her seventh UFC bantamweight title defense would not go as her opponent planned. Fans urged her to rethink returning to the Octagon as the sport evolved during her absence. UFC’s first female champion broke barriers and dominated rivals for years with unmatched skills. Her knockout loss to Holly Holm in UFC 193 ended one of the most legendary runs in mixed martial arts. The defeat also marked a changing of the guard, even though Rousey predicted Holm’s tactics but could not stop them.
Rousey Predicted Holm’s Tactics
Rousey knew exactly how Holly Holm would try to beat her at UFC 193. Long before Kayla Harrison entered the Octagon, Rousey used her judo and grappling expertise to dominate fights on the ground. Holm’s victory exposed key weaknesses in Rousey’s overall game, marking the first defeat of her career. Dana White defended Rousey’s approach, despite critics saying Holm controlled distance easily and landed strikes freely. Rousey admitted her game plan faltered early, yet she fully understood how Holm would try to win.
In an appearance on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ just over a month before UFC 193, Rousey predicted her own downfall. “This one’s gonna be a much longer fight… She’s the type of fighter you have to be patient with,” Rousey said. “I feel like she’s going to keep distance and frustrate me until I make a mistake. She’ll try to kick me in the head, but it’s not going to go her way.”
Confidence Before the Fight
Rousey had no reason to doubt herself heading into UFC 193. She praised Holm’s skills and recognized her style would challenge her. Rousey faced little adversity in the Octagon until that point, with her previous four title defenses ending in the first round. Only one of those fights lasted longer than a minute. “If I make the fight fast, that means I like you,” Rousey said during a 2015 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. “That’s me at my most merciful. She got paid and had a good night. But this next opponent, I don’t like, and she will leave looking different than when she entered.”
