5 Talking points about Ronda Rousey's defeat to Holly Holm at UFC 193

The MMA world has been mooted to a frenzy following Holly Holm’s spectacular headkick knockout of Ronda Rousey at UFC 193As the effervescent Joe Rogan aptly summed it up, Holly Holm’s 2nd round knockout victory over Ronda Rousey could perhaps be considered as one of the greatest upsets in MMA history; a fact further underlined by how much Rousey’s dominion over the women’s bantamweight division has been taken for granted.With the former champion already plastered up as the poster-girl of the UFC and also tasting mainstream success in Hollywood on a large scale, the upset victory procured by Holm and especially the manner of it has head kicked the MMA world into a frenzy.The whirring of the UFC marketing machine coupled with the dominant performances of the Rowdy One till date have perhaps lent credibility to the idea that Ronda Rousey was indestructible, often prompting fervoured and illogical dream fight scenarios against the likes of Floyd Mayweather.In a swift stroke of reality, though, the world witnessed in disbelief as an accomplished striker in Holly Holm picked apart Rousey’s uncalculated lunges with precision and incision.Perhaps this was always on the cards, with fight analysts questioning the dexterity of Rousey’s stand-up game; a tenet further highlighter, yet subtly, when her mom questioned if Edmund Tarverdyan was the right coach for her at all.Either way, while Holly Holm can celebrate her feat of realising the unthinkable, it might be prudent to examine exactly what the thus far imperceptible chinks might have been in Rousey’s glittering armour and where she goes from here. Here then, are 5 talking points about Ronda Rousey’s defeat to Holly Holm at UFC 193.

#1 Holly Holm\'s striking

The story of the fight – Rousey rushing in and Holm finding her mark

While it was obvious that Ronda was well aware of Holly Holm’s considerable kickboxing credentials when the fight was first announced, her approach in the fight seemed devoid of any concerted effort to adjust her game to nullify that of Holm’s.

Rushing in blindly and trying desperately to take the fight to the ground, Ronda Rousey was outclassed and picked apart in a manner that was damaging to the legacy that she has thus far sculpted for herself.

Perhaps the very same game plan that has so far allowed her to obliterate her opposition proved her undoing this time around, but to all Ronda fanatics, the manner of defeat suffered and the ease with which Holm seemed to pull it off must surely sting.

Trained by the imperious coaching team of Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn from New Mexico, where Jon Jones also trains, Holm’s gameplan and execution of it far superseeded that of Ronda; a point driven home with unerring precision in footwork and deadly accuracy in striking in each exchange leading up to the explosive finish.

#2 Game plans?

After UFC 193, it became rather apparent that good rapport with your coach can only take a fighter so far.

Although Dana White not so subtly reminded everyone in the post-fight press conference that dissecting game plans and things of that order may be the most misconstrued approach to analyzing the fight, perhaps it was indeed the aptness of Holm’s gameplan over the inefficiency of Rousey’s that ultimately decided the fight.

However, after winning 12 straight fights in stellar fashion with the same all-guns-blazing style of fighting, Rousey could hardly be blamed for not rocking the boat when the sailing was thus far smooth.

As Holm revealed after the fight, her coaches and her had devised a gameplan that could deal with any approach that Ronda chose to adopt during the fight; Ronda, on the other hand, found herself sitting in her corner after losing the first round, with her coach Edmund Tarverdyan telling her that she had done a “good job”.

It only took a subsequent minute for Holly Holm to finish the fight in the second round in spectacular fashion; something that looks set to further accentuate the dissatisfied murmurs that have arisen against Ronda’s choice of a striking coach into public outcry.

#3 The Rematch

While a rematch seems an inevitability, it may be more prudent for Ronda Rousey to take her time and regroup

With both the UFC and Holly Holm’s entourage swiftly confirming plans of a rematch, as any fan would expect, Ronda’s chance for the redemption of her crown seems set in stone.

However, given the manner in which she was outclassed in the fight, perhaps a rushed rematch may play out along the lines of the recently concluded Dillashaw-Barao encounters that have effectively seen out Renan Barao from the top of the food chain and perhaps, even from the weight-class going forward.

While cries for her to change her striking coach may merit fair consideration, perhaps it is more important for Ronda to completely shuffle-up her game plan if she were to face Holly Holm again.

As Holm’s striking and footwork looked lightyears ahead of Rousey’s in the fight, perhaps adding a new dimension to her repertoire may also serve her well; after all this was a loss that not only ousted Ronda Rousey from her seemingly unpenetrable perch, but also blatantly highlighted the holes in her game.

It seems inevitable that we will see a rematch between Ronda Rousey and Holly Holm in the near future, but for Ronda's sake, let us hope it is time enough for her to realise that she cannot indeed beat every competitor in her division with one hand tied behind her back.

#4 A True Champion

In all fairness, it would be atrocious to even suggest that Ronda Rousey is anything but a true champion even after her UFC 193 debacle

Understandably Holly Holm’s victory and especially the manner of it has ensured that the internet is bursting forth with reactions from fighters and fans alike, with many pouncing on the first real opportunity that has been presented to them to decry Ronda Rousey.

While it was obvious that Ronda Rousey was never the most polite or humble of champions, it is undeniable that her contribution to women’s MMA and to the MMA world in general, has been nothing short of monumental.

It is perhaps one of the less delectable facets of human nature to kick a (wo)man when (s)he is down and out, but no defeat can undo the immense contribution that Ronda Rousey has provided the UFC with or the innumerable mainstream eyeballs that she has single-handedly drawn into the product to cement MMA as the fastest growing sport in the world today.

While her arch-nemesis Miesha Tate was mouthing off expletives against her on Twitter, former legends and champions including Mike Tyson and George Foreman oozed class in their show of solidarity to the fallen Rowdy one.

As devastating as the knock-out was and as outclassed as Ronda Rousey was made to look, perhaps it takes a true champion to recognize another one.

#5 What next for Ronda Rousey?

The reaction to the defeat at UFC 193 may ultimately prove to be the defining point of Rousey’s career

For a champion who repeated with conviction at every opportune moment that she would retire undefeated, it is perhaps within the realms of comprehension that such a major derailment of her career plans may even spell the end of Ronda Rousey’s MMA career. With Hollywood and even the WWE waiting in the wings, perhaps it may not be a misplaced notion for the Rowdy One considered an alternate career going forward.

Admittedly, Ronda herself said that she always feels like she has the most to lose going into every fight; conversely it would be interesting to see how she picks herself up now that she has indeed lost everything, if you will. Will this spell the end of Rousey’s MMA career, or will the wise old head of George Foreman prove to be right?

After all, as he said in the aftermath of UFC 193, “Down goes Muhammad, Frazier & Foreman. Ronda Rousey we all came back, so will you”.

Every true champion that the world reveres today has tasted defeat and clawed their way back to the top. Indeed, some may even consider the nature of her response to defeat as the true hallmark of a champion.

Either way, we can concur that the time is now ripe for Ronda Rousey to cement her legacy for good, one way or another.