Holly Holm has made one thing clear, she would gladly step back into the cage with Ronda Rousey, but she doesn’t believe the former UFC champion has any interest in running it back.
More than a decade after delivering one of the biggest upsets in MMA history, Holly Holm still remains open to a second fight with Rousey. Their first meeting at UFC 193 in November 2015 shocked the combat sports world when Holm knocked out Rousey with a devastating head kick to claim the UFC women’s bantamweight title.
Since then, the idea of a rematch has never fully gone away. Following Rousey’s recent 17-second submission win over Gina Carano under the Most Valuable Promotions banner, speculation around a possible return bout with Holly Holm resurfaced. But while Holm welcomes the idea, she doesn’t expect it to happen.
“Yes, there’s been a lot of talk about the Ronda fight,” Holly Holm said. “I highly doubt she’ll ever want a rematch. I’ve always said, from the minute the last fight ended, I’d be open to fighting her again. That option has always been there.
“But she came back, got her win, and now she can enjoy that moment. No hate from me at all. I hope she does well, and I hope she does whatever makes her happy. That’s her life. But I’d absolutely fight her again.”
Despite the buzz surrounding Rousey’s quick finish over Carano, Holly Holm refused to downplay the performance or criticize Carano’s defeat.
“Ronda did that to a lot of top-ranked women during her prime,” Holm said. “You can’t judge someone off that. It takes real courage to step back into competition after being away for so long.
“Ronda has stayed more active over the years, so she understands the grind, the physical demands, and what it takes mentally. Even with experience, stepping into that environment still brings nerves.”
Holly Holm also praised Carano for returning after such a lengthy layoff, acknowledging the mental and emotional battle that comes with stepping back into combat sports.
“To come back after so much time away is uncomfortable,” Holm said. “Fight week is uncomfortable. Fight day is uncomfortable. Every single fight, I tell myself it might be my last because of how intense it feels.
“It’s not just physical. It’s emotional and mental. There’s so much pressure. You don’t know what’s going to happen, but you still walk in there and face it anyway. That takes courage.”
Even with the rematch chatter growing louder, Holly Holm holds nothing but respect for Rousey and credits her former rival for helping create one of the defining moments of her career.
“All respect to her,” Holm said. “The reason beating her was such a huge deal is because she was so dominant. You need a champion of that level for an upset to mean something that big.
“I’ll never say anything negative about her. But as a fighter, of course I’m proud of what I accomplished that night. We train to win, and I’m proud of the way I did it.”
For now, Holly Holm remains focused on her boxing career and her upcoming rematch against Stephanie Han. Still, if Rousey ever changes her mind, Holm has made it clear the door remains open.
