Holly Holm: Despite what Ronda Rousey thinks, I can handle winning spotlight at UFC 193

Holly Holm

(This story first appeared at USA TODAY.)

LOS ANGELES — Ronda Rousey was warned on Monday that she has made a serious mistake by questioning upcoming opponent Holly Holm’s ability to handle the spotlight when the two meet at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia, on Nov. 14.

Rousey said last week that Holm would “be happier” if she loses their battle for the UFC women’s bantamweight title, indicating that the former world boxing champion would struggle to adapt to life in the public eye.

“I don’t think she would be comfortable with it,” Rousey said, when asked to compare her own high-profile routine with the relative anonymity Holm, from Albuquerque, N.M., enjoys. “It would take away from her quality of life. I don’t think it is for some people.

“This kind of an environment is not what Holly would like. I hope that she takes whatever she gets for losing and has a life that she would like a lot more than this.

“With Holly I will genuinely be happy for her and hope that she accepts her loss in a healthy way and enjoys all the benefits that she got from this fight.”

Holm (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) will go into the contest as an overwhelming underdog, given the dominance Rousey (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) has displayed since entering MMA.

However, the 34-year-old insisted Rousey’s comments were little more than a sign of insecurity and said she would comfortably handle whatever glory would accompany a shock win at Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium.

“I would not be happier if I lost,” Holm told USA TODAY Sports in an interview at a downtown Los Angeles restaurant on Monday. “That’s kind of the new thing she’s been saying.

“Maybe it’s coming from a place where she has a lot of pressure and media attention on her. She might be thinking it is a lot to handle, and maybe she is thinking no one else can do what (she does). Trust me, with a win, I will be able to handle it.”

Holm is a two-time RING Magazine female boxer of the year who amassed a 32-2-3 record before switching to MMA in 2011, a pedigree that suggests she should not be overawed by the occasion in Melbourne, even with a crowd of around 70,000 expected following a surge in ticket sales.

Holm insisted that her occasionally nervous demeanor should not be taken as a sign of weakness, or any indication she fears Rousey.

“I am always nervous, it doesn’t matter what fight it is,” Holm said. “Every fighter has their strengths, anything can happen in there.

“If I didn’t have nerves it would be like I didn’t care if I win or lose. It is natural. I know I have big things ahead of me.”

The build-up to this fight has lacked the seething animosity present for Rousey’s last victory, against Bethe Correia of Brazil. Correia infuriated Rousey with a tasteless pre-fight remark that she would make Rousey want to “kill herself.” Rousey’s father Ron committed suicide two decades ago.

However, as the contest with Holm approaches and tensions rise, the friendly nature of the rivalry is giving way to some understated, but very apparent, needling.

“Holly seems like a very nice person and a sweet girl,” Rousey said. “She is the kind of person like after I beat her and she makes a lot of money I am like, ‘Good for her, buy yourself an Albuquerque house with that.’ ”

But Holm has designs on a bigger prize — and greater glory — than that.

For more on UFC 193, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.