UFC President Dana White spoke about the possibility of a rematch between Ronda Rousey and Holly Holm after Holm stunned Rousey with a second-round knockout at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia, on Saturday.
Per the Los Angeles Times' Lance Pugmire, White would not give a definitive answer as to when a rematch between the two might take place but hinted that Rousey's next appearance is likely to be at UFC 200:
White won't commit to @arielhelwani as to when the rematch will be.
— Lance Pugmire (@latimespugmire) November 15, 2015
White said Rousey may not return until UFC 200 as planned...
— Lance Pugmire (@latimespugmire) November 15, 2015
Holm, who clinched her incredible upset with a head kick, is open to facing Rowdy in the Octagon again, according to ESPN's Brett Okamoto:
Holly Holm: I think a rematch makes sense for sure.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) November 15, 2015
Rousey—who suffered her first defeat in mixed martial arts—has been an incredibly dominant figure in thhe UFC and appeared to be head and shoulders above the rest of the field until Saturday. White noted the significance of Holm's astounding win, per MMA writer Sean Sheehan:
"This is by far the biggest upset in UFC history" - Dana Said
— Seán Sheehan (@SeanSheehanBA) November 15, 2015
White also discussed Rousey's state of mind following the demoralizing defeat and gave his take on the bout, per MMA writer Adam Hill and Pugmire:
"She's completely bummed out," UFC president Dana White on Ronda Rousey
— Adam Hill (@AdamHillLVRJ) November 15, 2015
"I thought Ronda would have more answers. I don't think Ronda was exposed. I think Ronda got beat," White says.
— Lance Pugmire (@latimespugmire) November 15, 2015
The 28-year-old had won all of her previous fights with ease, but Holm caused her problems from the outset:
Rowdy didn't appear as controlled as usual at the pre-fight weigh-in or in the Octagon, as she often found herself swinging wildly while Holm made use of her excellent striking ability. Indeed, Holm drew blood from Rousey's nose in the opening round.
A huge rematch will at some point inevitably be in the cards as Rousey looks to recover from a huge blow to her reputation and ambitions.
When they face each other again, Rousey will need to try a new approach to both the pre-fight buildup and the contest itself, or she could be humiliated once again.
