Holly Holm threw a major monkey wrench in the much-anticipated Ronda Rousey vs. Cris "Cyborg" Justino matchup. On Sunday morning in Australia at UFC 193, Holm destroyed Rousey via second-round KO. In the process, she ruined the latter's undefeated record and took her UFC women's bantamweight title away.
Holm's precise striking was the major factor. A scintillating head kick was the coup de grace. ESPN tweeted about the early-morning strike that shook up the sports world:
The matchup between Rousey and Cyborg seemed great. Cyborg has been hyped as the only woman capable of beating Rousey. Now that Holm has proven that isn't the case, is a Rousey-Cyborg fight ever going to happen?
We'd have to say it is less likely to take place at this point. Furthermore, it's unclear how many people would even still be interested in seeing it.
We have to assume there will be a rematch. In a post-fight interview with ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Holm, the new champion said she would grant Rousey an immediate rematch. Shelburne also spoke to UFC President Dana White on ESPN's post-fight coverage, and he expressed a desire to get the two women back in the cage again.
White also talked about the prospects of a rematch in the post-event press conference below:
Even if there were an immediate rematch and Rousey were to even the score, that wouldn't necessarily mean Cyborg was next in line. No matter how dominant of a win Rousey produced, it would still seem more likely that a third fight with Holm would come before anyone else in the division could get a shot.
We also have to remember, not only is Cyborg not in Rousey's division, she isn't even in the UFC as of yet. Cyborg is currently a featherweight (145 pounds) in Invicta, and there's a real concern as to whether she can make weight at 135 pounds.
She'd have to prove she can make weight and win a fight or two in the UFC before getting a shot at the title. One possible angle could be to have Rousey face Cyborg either before the rematch with Holm, or after, should she fall short of gaining revenge.
Obviously, the hype for the fight wouldn't be anywhere close to what it would've been had Rousey not been conquered. But it could still have some appeal. The UFC's marketing team is excellent at creating public interest for fights. If Cyborg does come to the UFC, there's no doubt the matchmakers and White will find a way to get her in the Octagon with Rousey.
One thing is for sure: After Sunday's fight, Cyborg is the last person Rousey should be thinking about. There's some serious work to do if she plans on closing the gap between her and Holm. It may be hard to believe, but Holm is a far better fighter than Rousey at this point, and she proved it on Sunday.
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