Ronda Rousey is set to leave WWE after returning to the company last year. There has been some talk about Rousey returning to UFC due to some of the changes in the women’s division. If that happens, could fans get a rematch of Rousey vs. Holly Holm?
The first match was in 2015 at UFC 193. At the time, Rousey was the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion and successfully defended the title six times. But Holm, who like Rousey was undefeated, was not intimidated as she defeated Rosey in the second round via knockout. It was one of the biggest upsets in UFC history and the biggest win of Holm’s career. However, Holm was not able to capitalize on the success, losing to Miesha Tate at UFC 196 in March 2016 and has not won another title ever since.
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After the loss, Rousey didn’t compete in another match for another year, and the performance was not a strong one, losing to Amanda Nunes in the first round. Rousey has not competed in another mixed martial arts (MMA) match since the Nunes loss.
If Rousey, 36, battles Holm for the second time, she will be looking for redemption. After the loss to Holm, Rousey talked about wanting to face her again. “I need to come back. I need to beat this chick,” Rousey said to ESPN (per Euro Sport), “Who knows if I’m going to pop my teeth out or break my jaw or rip my lip open again. I have to (expletive) do it. It doesn’t matter. I have to do it.”
Holm, 41, has an edge over Rousey since she has continued to compete in MMA. His last match was in March when she defeated Yana Santos via unanimous decision. Since the win over Rousey, Holm has posted a 5-6 record and has competed for the UFC Women’s Featherweight title twice and the Bantamweight title once.
In 2017, Holm spoke to reporters about Rousey returning to UFC. “I’m one of those that, I’m a firm believer in the fact that once a fighter, always a fighter,” she said, per Bloody Elbow. “She might not ever want to fight again. She might not fight for two years, and then she might say, ‘You know what? I’m really egging for it. I want to get back in there, I really want to fight. I’ve had enough of this regular life business.’ You know?” If Rousey vs. Holm 2 is a go, it will likely be one of the biggest draws in UFC history.
