The late rapper Keith Elam aka Guru of the group Gang Starr wrote the following in the classic song "Moment of Truth:" "Nobody's invincible. No plan is foolproof. We all must meet our moment of truth."
On Sunday morning in Melbourne, Australia, at UFC 193, Ronda Rousey met hers. Holly Holm dismantled the UFC women's bantamweight champion in less than two rounds. A nasty head kick finished the fight and stripped Rousey of her undefeated record and her title.
MMA Fighting called it the KO of the Year and possibly the biggest one in the history of the sport:
Knockout of the Year? Knockout of the Ever.
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) November 15, 2015
It's hard to call them a prisoner of the moment. Rousey had never been seriously challenged in any of her previous 12 fights. She had strung together a series of first-round finishes, and Holm seemed a bit green in her two previous UFC bouts.
None of that mattered on Sunday, as Holm executed a flawless game plan en route to the mega upset. While Rousey declined comment after the fight and left for the hospital, per ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, the new champion spoke about her win:
Holm utilized superior athleticism, length and striking prowess to befuddle Rousey in the first round. Rousey simply couldn't close the distance. She was able to get the fight to the ground for a brief moment in the first round, but Holm stayed poised, got to her feet and escaped Rousey's dreaded arm bar.
That was the turning point in the fight. All of the air had to go out of Rousey's sails at that moment. She had to see she was completely overmatched in the striking department as Holm's boxing acumen proved to be a major factor. If Rousey couldn't fall back on her grappling to save her, she was in trouble.
The worst of that trouble would come in the second round. A visibly tired, desperate and reckless Rousey chased Holm and consistently ran into left and right hands. At one point, Holm ducked under a Rousey punch, sending her careening into the fence like an amateur.
Shortly thereafter, a hard right hand dazed Rousey. It was followed by a head kick that knocked Rousey out cold. Holm pounced on Rousey, but referee Herb Dean waved off the bout. Holm had shocked the world.
Almost immediately, there was talk of a rematch from White and members of the media at the post-event press conference.
Depending on when it takes place, the draw would be absolutely huge. Everything about it seems perfect for UFC 200. The humongous show will need as many high-profile fights as possible.
Rousey's return to the Octagon would undoubtedly make for one of the biggest.
It may be hard to believe, but Rousey has a lot of work to do if she hopes to have a better showing against Holm in a rematch. The new champion was well prepared and mentally tough.
Rousey's striking defense has never been great. She would normally rush her opponent and overwhelm them with her judo prowess—and lately her striking. Neither plan worked against Holm. No one would have believed this before Sunday, but Holm exposed Rousey as a rather one-dimensional attacker.
Rousey must get better with her striking defense and learn to cut off the cage to initiate the clinch she needs to be successful. Former heavyweight boxing champion Lennox Lewis agrees:
My take on #UFC193 is that @RondaRousey made big mistake of following a puncher and was picked apart and put away! #NeedBetterGamePlan
— Lennox Lewis (@LennoxLewis) November 15, 2015
While things look down for Rousey at the moment, at least Reebok is still showing love for one of its prized athletes:
Being a champ doesn't mean winning every time. It’s constant pursuit of greatness. Next time,@RondaRousey! #UFC193 pic.twitter.com/sNAb8cvnNZ
— Reebok (@Reebok) November 15, 2015
Not everyone was as supportive. Rousey's rival Miesha Tate seemed to take pleasure in her nemesis' downfall:
????
— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) November 15, 2015
It seems almost certain Rousey will be back. Be on the look out for her return commercials from Reebok and anyone else looking to get in on the hype. If she isn't able to improve upon her performance, the list of supporters will dwindle.
It's a tough world.
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