Holly Holm pulled off the unthinkable at UFC 193's main event in Melbourne, Australia on Saturday when she knocked out women's bantamweight titleholder Ronda Rousey in the second round behind a vicious head kick.
SportsCenter confirmed the result on Twitter:
AND NEW! Holly Holm tops champion Ronda Rousey via knockout. pic.twitter.com/RpvaG9CHNd
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 15, 2015
UFC on FOX relayed highlights of Holm's historic victory:
#UFC193 Highlights: Holly Holm stuns the world with a massive head kick knockout win over Ronda Rousey https://t.co/BJw82KV9Jv
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) November 15, 2015
The win kept Holm's perfect record (10-0) intact and spoiled Rousey's (12-1) all at the same time. It also cemented Holm's place in combat sports history, according to ESPN Stats & Info:
@_HOLLYHOLM is the only person in history (man or woman) to win world titles in boxing AND UFC #UFC193
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 15, 2015
Holm's brilliant display was stunning—especially when placed in the context of Rousey's recent dominance. Not only had Rousey been taken past the first round just once in her career prior to UFC 193, but she hadn't shown signs of vulnerability over the past couple of years.
Furthermore, Rousey's past four bouts lasted an average of 32.5 seconds as she dispelled opponents in decisive fashion time and again with no end to the run in sight.
But Holm was prepared, and it showed, per ESPN Stats & Info:
Ronda Rousey: hit by career-high 38 significant strikes; her 1st 10 UFC/Strikeforce fights, was hit by total of 64 such strikes @FightMetric
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 15, 2015
However, the 34-year-old champion made it clear she didn't put in extra work just because she was squaring off against Rousey with a title on the line.
"I have not spent any more time in the gym than any other fight I’ve ever had in my life," Holm said, according to MMAFighting.com on Twitter.
Holm was the aggressor from the start, and she imposed her will in resounding fashion. ESPN's Brett Okamoto summed up the early proceedings:
This is crazy! Holm tagging Rousey with straight left hands. Rousey stunned bad by one of them. Holm takes Rousey down but stands up.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) November 15, 2015
Once Rousey was sent tumbling to the canvas of the Octagon, the MMA universe exploded in unison with takeaways from one of the most stunning UFC results of all time.
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Snowden chimed in with his take on the Rousey-Mike Tyson comparisons:
The Mike Tyson comparisons were apt. The first time someone stood up to Rousey she crumbled. Very Tyson-esque. #UFC193
— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) November 15, 2015
Elsewhere, SB Nation's Chuck Mindenhall noted Holm's win could change the landscape of the sport:
This sort of changes...well, everything.
— Chuck Mindenhall (@ChuckMindenhall) November 15, 2015
And while plans still need to be sorted out, Snowden pegged one potential riser in the bantamweight ranks now that Rousey has been dethroned:
How happy is @MieshaTate right now? This opens up the whole division.
— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) November 15, 2015
Based on Saturday's developments and present career trajectories, a showdown between Holm and Miesha Tate could be a nice direction for the bantamweight division.
Tate ranks No. 1 among all women's bantamweight fighters, per UFC.com, and her last loss came in a title bout against Rousey in December 2013. Since then, Tate has posted four straight wins to kick her career record up to 17-5.
While Rousey's reign at the top ended Saturday, a new era was spawned that could create even more drama in the months and years ahead.
