It appeared Ronda Rousey’s next opponent was destined to be Miesha Tate, who was the No. 1 contender for the UFC women’s bantamweight championship.
But in a shocking twist Friday, Rousey announced she will face Holly Holm at UFC 195 in Las Vegas on Jan. 2.
Tate already had two chances at Rousey, which UFC president Dana White said was a driving factor for the change.
“We were talking about Miesha from the start, then as we started sitting around we were saying, ‘Everyone has seen the Miesha fight already,’ ” White said to the Los Angeles Times’ Lance Pugmire. “A third fight in a rivalry usually comes after the stuff we’d see in (Arturo) Gatti-(Micky) Ward. With Miesha, the result has been the same twice. Everyone’s already seen that fight.”
Holm presents a unique challenge for Rousey. The 33-year-old has an extensive background in both boxing and kickboxing. She is relatively new to UFC, though, after signing a deal last year. She won her first two fights, although the first was far from convincing.
“Everyone has jitters in their first fight. Holly came back from that and destroyed a woman who’d looked damn good in her previous fights,” White said. “When you talk about the possibilities of what Holly can do … she’s a world-class boxer … the Holly Holm fight for Ronda is way more intriguing.”
Rousey said she is excited for the fight and called it her “biggest challenge to date.”
“I prepare for a five-round war every time I get in there,” Rousey said Friday on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” via the Times. “No one’s easy until after you beat them, and with Holly Holm, she’s the type that is ready to go 12 boxing rounds. She’s not the average chick that I fight.
“She’s the best striker I’ve ever fought, and striking is something I learned much later in my career. So I don’t ever expect fights to be easy and fast. No one knows exactly how the fights are going to go, and that’s why everybody buys them.”
Thumbnail photo via Jason Silva/USA TODAY Sports Images
