Holm Doubts Ronda Rousey Holly Holm Rematch After 17-Second Win
Holly Holm highly doubts a ronda rousey holly holm rematch will ever happen. She said she has always been open to it, but does not think Ronda Rousey wants that return fight.
Holm addressed the subject while Rousey’s 17-second submission of Gina Carano was drawing attention. The quick finish revived talk around Rousey’s old rivalries, and Holm’s name came up often because her 2015 head kick knockout remains one of MMA’s biggest upsets.
Holm’s Open Door
“Yes, a lot of talk with the Ronda fight,” Holm said. “I highly doubt she’ll ever want a rematch. I always have said since the minute the last fight was over, I’ll always rematch her. That’s always been available.”
She added, “But she wanted to come back and have this win and go back and enjoy and have a win like that. No hate from me. I hope she does well. I hope she does whatever she wants with her life. That’s her life. I’d always be open to fight her again.”
Rousey, Carano, and the 17-Second Finish
Rousey submitted Carano in the main event of the first MVP MMA card, finishing a fighter who had not fought in 17 years before returning. Carano had largely turned her attention to an acting career after her final appearance in Strikeforce, which made her comeback one of the reasons the matchup drew notice.
Holm said the speed of the result did not surprise her in the way some reaction online suggested. “[She did that] a lot to women who were ranked at the top, Ronda was still doing that,” she said, and added, “You can’t judge someone [who lost like that].” She also said, “It takes a lot of courage to step back in when you haven’t felt that in a long time and in that many years.”
Holm’s Own Position
Holm, who signed with MVP as her boxing promoter, was competing for a lightweight world title in boxing on Saturday. Her comments kept the focus on the matchup that changed Rousey’s career path in 2015, when Holm’s head kick knockout ended Rousey’s run and set the terms for every rematch discussion since.
Rousey retired after back-to-back knockout losses, came back after a 10-year hiatus, beat Carano, and then called it a career again. Holm’s stance leaves the door open from her side, but the rematch talk still depends on whether Rousey wants to reopen a fight that has followed both women for years.
