Legendary boxing coach Freddie Roach has denied speculation he’ll be training MMA star Ronda Rousey in the wake of her shocking loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193.
“I'm getting a lot of calls and stuff and they are saying 'Are going to train her? Are you going to train her?' I haven't talked to anybody. Nobody has contacted me I promise,” the 55-year-old responded when asked about the rumours, per Rick Reeno of BoxingScene.com.
Roach, who has been unerringly accurate with pre-fight predictions in the past, did admit that he fancied Rousey’s chances going into this one but that she was “embarrassed” by the former world champion boxer, per Reeno:
I picked Ronda to win that fight because I thought it would go to the ground and be over quickly, like when James Toney [fought Randy Couture], because I wasn't sure how good [Holm] was with the grappling. But she has 33 wins or 31 wins as a pro boxer and so forth, and she did very well.
She made her look like an amateur boxer because [Rousey] doesn't have any boxing ability pretty much, but she does have a ground game. In MMA you have to have both. If you don't have like three different sports, you can't make it in MMA. She embarrassed [Rousey] a little bit I think.
It was certainly the worst night of Rousey’s career, as she was tagged with ease by Holm throughout the contest. Eventually, a thunderous left from the challenger stunned the former champion, allowing Holm to deliver a brutal kick to the head which downed Rousey, before the referee called off the bout.
Here’s a reminder of the finish which shocked MMA experts around the world, per BT Sport UFC:
While the knockout was devastating, it was the work done by Holm in the early stages of the fight which set up the finishing blows perfectly. Rousey was far too upright in her advances on the night, allowing Holm to fend her off with her superior striking, while planting some seeds of hesitancy and eventually picking her shots with ease.
MMA History Today commented on the manner in which Holm ruthlessly exposed Rousey’s deficiencies:
Prior to UFC 193, Rousey’s stellar judo background and unrelenting intensity saw her blitz through opposition, and they’re qualities that will aid her in winning more fights in the future. However, if she wants to wrestle back the UFC bantamweight title from Holm, then it’s clear she needs to make some refinements.
So while boxing and MMA are completely different disciplines, working with someone like Roach, who is so well versed in the fundamentals of the sweet science, could be to her benefit, especially when it comes to defensive strategies against a capable puncher.
Indeed, another boxing legend, the retired, undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr., has offered to lend a hand, too, per Ben Thompson of Fight Hype (via Bleacher Report):
There’s no denying Rousey has the temperament to bounce back from this heavy defeat. But it’s inevitable that after Holm forensically exposed her flaws with a classy performance, other opponents will target these weaknesses. They'll also be a little more brazen against a fighter who was previously thought to be untouchable inside the Octagon.
Overcoming the embarrassment of losing so spectacularly will also pose a significant mental challenge for Rousey. Putting some hard work into improving her striking skills would undeniably aid in that process.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com
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