It’s been over a decade since the high kick heard ‘round the world.
In November 2015, Holly Holm picked apart and knocked out the previously undefeated Ronda Rousey, shaking up the sport in a shocking way. The two would never rematch, however, as Holm lost her title (in the worst business decision of all time?) to Miesha Tate, who got smoked by Amanda Nunes, who then obliterated Ronda Rousey in her UFC retirement fight.
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All these years later, Rousey is back in the limelight after her win over Gina Carano (highlights here) at the inaugural MVP MMA event live on Netflix. Though Rousey intends to return to retirement after that showcase win, she didn’t miss the opportunity to fire shots at Holm and insist she would “clean her clock” if they did throw down.
Holm has since fired back, reminding Rousey that she has never wanted any part of a rematch.
“You can say one thing, and actions are another,” Holm told Ariel Helwani (via Curtis Calhoun). “She’s always going to be more of that type of person, and the thing is, I’ve always said that I would rematch her. That’s the bottom line. She doesn’t want it! She’s never wanted it, and that’s alright. I’m not mad at her for it. I don’t want someone to get in there and fight if they don’t actually want to fight, because I want someone who wants it.
“The rematch has never been because I said ‘No’. I have respect for her, and she was a dominant champion; she’s good at what she does,” Holm continued. “She just has holes in [striking], but she’s very good at her skill set.”
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Holm hasn’t competed in the cage since an August 2024 loss to Kayla Harrison, the current Bantamweight champion of the world. Since leaving the UFC, she’s returned to the boxing ring, recently losing a very controversial decision to Stephanie Han.
