Ronda Rousey is not your average MMA star. She does not take to Twitter to hint about her next fight to build up some anticipation, nor does the UFC not just announce her next fight on UFC Tonight. Instead Ronda goes on Good Morning America to tell the world that she will be fighting Holly Holm on January 2nd in the main event for UFC 195.
There was a surprise to many who thought that the next fight for Ronda was a third one with Miesha Tate but once again Dana White said one thing and did another. Anybody surprised by this has not been paying attention to Dana and how the UFC hands out their title shots.
They are often the proverbial carrot being dangled always just out of reach. In the case of Rory MacDonald he was promised a title shot several times before actually getting one. It is one of the ways that Dana can control the fighters by constantly shifting path to the title in reminds the fighters who is in charge.
Unless, you are Ronda then she is the one who really holds the power in this situation. The UFC have given her a platform but she is the one who is the star. Ronda is the one bringing in the mainstream media like Good Morning America not Dana White or the UFC.
Ronda Rousey versus Holly Holm: Let the Pretty Girls Fight II
Holly Holm does provide some unique challenges for Ronda and Jack Slack illustrates them in a couple of excellent articles; Killing the Queen: Ronda Rousey and Jack Slack: Is Holly Holm The Woman to Beat Ronda Rousey. Ronda being the great promoter is already calling Holm her biggest challenge to date despite Holm looking underwhelming in her two UFC fights.
It is easy to see why the UFC made this fight now. No one was really excited about a third fight with Tate and if you pair Holm up with someone like Amanda Nunes, you are eliminating one of the two top ten women Ronda has yet to defeat.
It makes sense for them to pair the pretty Holm up now with Ronda before she loses to another top contender. I would look for the UFC to probably pair Nunes up with Tate and while we are at it lets put Cat Zingano and Sara McMann in one too.
While we were expecting that Tate was going to be her next opponent, I do not think anyone is really disappointed by the switch to Holm. Yes, Tate has continued to improve but it is hard to see how she beats Ronda. At least with Holm it is a new challenge and we can convince ourselves that maybe she has a chance to beat Ronda.
It is an easier fight for the UFC to sell as they can promote their undefeated records, Holm’s decorated boxing career and they are both “pretty” which never seems to hurt PPV sales. Unlike Ronda’s last opponent Bethe Correia, Holm does at least possess the skills that many think are necessary to have a chance against Ronda, and it is better than a third fight with Tate right now.
Really, it does not matter who Ronda fights we are watching because of her, because she is the star of the UFC right now and her opponent almost does not matter, UFC 190 proved that point. The fight with Holm is an easier sell to the casual fan who will be dazzled by her boxing career and her undefeated record and her flashy highlight reel.
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