Fansided MMA
FanSided

Top 10 most important UFC women’s main events

By Drake Riggs

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 15: (L-R) Ronda Rousey faces Holly Holm in their UFC women's bantamweight championship bout during the UFC 193 event at Etihad Stadium on November 15, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 15: (L-R) Ronda Rousey faces Holly Holm in their UFC women's bantamweight championship bout during the UFC 193 event at Etihad Stadium on November 15, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
9 of 10
Next
Nov 15, 2015; Melbourne, Australia; Holly Holm (blue gloves) celebrates after defeating Ronda Rousey (not pictured) during UFC 193 at Etihad Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Roberts-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 15, 2015; Melbourne, Australia; Holly Holm (blue gloves) celebrates after defeating Ronda Rousey (not pictured) during UFC 193 at Etihad Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Roberts-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Ronda Rousey vs Holly Holm – UFC 193, 2015

Scheduled to take place in the Etihad Arena in Melbourne, Australia, UFC 193 was expected to be the largest UFC audience since UFC 129 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada’s Rogers Centre. And that it was.

UFC 129 had previously held the UFC attendance record with 55,724 audience members. UFC 193 just broke that epic record with 56,214. The event headliner? None other than Rousey, the six-time defending bantamweight champion.

Rousey was a bona fide megastar and public icon by this point. She was the first MMA fighter to truly become a mainstream figure. Showing no signs of slowing down, Rousey was on top of the world.

Lo and behold, a world champion boxer out of JacksonWink MMA would find herself 2-0 in the UFC and positioned to be Rousey’s next big challenge.

At the time, the next best option for Rousey, who had all but cleared out the division, was a trilogy bout with her longtime rival, Miesha Tate. Since losing for a second time to Rousey in only her second UFC fight, Tate would go on a nice win streak of four straight with three coming over top 10 competition. Fans weren’t really interested in it but it was what made the most sense at the time. But the UFC had another idea.

Ready or not, here she came. Holly Holm was the one that everyone had their eyes on to be the last hope of being able to dethrone the dominant Rousey. Whether or not she could really do it was the bigger question.

The UFC would make Rousey vs Holm and the odds would place Holm as a massive +825 underdog to Rousey’s -1250. The fight was hard to predict and it many felt it was either going to be a classic quick Rousey victory or Holm would be able to find the knockout with her great technical striking. For the few that chose the latter, they cashed in big time.

We found out early on that Rousey’s striking and fight IQ was nowhere near the same level as Holm’s was as she continuously charged forward getting countered and picked apart with ease. It was so surprising to see someone who had been so dominant for so long be the one getting dominated and outclassed.

After a clear first round for the challenger and some questionable coaching from the champion’s corner, to say the least, the fight would continue into the second. But not for long.

Holm would continue her matador style with Rousey staggeringly bull rushing forward until right around 54 seconds in and Holm would tag Rousey dropping her forward to where should get back up only for Holm to land the head kick heard around the world.

The seemingly unbeatable had finally been beaten and the bantamweight division had entered a new era. The division moved on from Rousey that night and hasn’t looked back since.

HOME/UFC