More than a decade after suffering one of the most shocking defeats in combat sports history, Ronda Rousey believes she has the tools to rewrite the story against Holly Holm. The former UFC champion just has no interest in doing so.
Fresh off her successful return to MMA, where she submitted Gina Carano in just 17 seconds at the inaugural Most Valuable Promotions MMA event, Rousey announced her retirement once again and made it clear that her fighting days are behind her. While fans immediately speculated about potential future matchups, including a long-awaited rematch with Holm, Rousey says her priorities have changed.
Holm Still Open To A Rematch
Ahead of her lightweight championship boxing match this weekend, Holm addressed the possibility of facing Rousey again. The former UFC bantamweight champion famously stunned the world in November 2015 when she knocked out Rousey with a head kick at UFC 193, ending Rousey’s dominant title reign and handing her the first loss of her professional MMA career.
“I highly doubt she’ll ever want a rematch,” Holm told MMA Fighting. “I always have said since the minute the last fight was over, I’ll always rematch her. That’s always been available. No hate from me. I hope she does well. I hope she does whatever she wants with her life. I’d always be open to fight her again.”
While Holm remains open to the idea, Rousey doesn’t see it happening. That said, she believes the outcome would be much different if they ever shared a cage again.
“I think that I am a completely different fighter now,” Rousey said during an appearance on Up and Adams. “I would clean her clock.”
New Diagnosis Changed Everything
According to Rousey, a major reason for her confidence stems from a diagnosis she received years after stepping away from competition. The former champion revealed she suffers from cortical spreading depression, a neurological condition that she says contributed to symptoms she once believed were the result of repeated concussions.
Rousey explained that new treatment and medication have dramatically improved her quality of life and allowed her to compete without the issues that plagued her late in her fighting career.
“This is the first fight where I was able to take it,” Rousey said. “When I spiked my head into the mat, that’s exactly the kind of thing that would have set me off before. I would have lost big chunks of my vision. It ended up working perfectly in a live situation.”
A Different Rousey Than 10 Years Ago
After suffering knockout losses to both Holm and Amanda Nunes, Rousey walked away from MMA and eventually built a successful career in professional wrestling while focusing on raising her family. Now, despite feeling healthier and more capable than ever, she says revenge no longer motivates her.
“I’m better than I’ve ever been. I have better coaches than I’ve ever had. I finally don’t have these neurological issues that I had before,” Rousey said. “But now that I have it all set in front of me, I’ve changed and the things that I want have changed.”
Rousey acknowledged that a victory over Holm could erase one of the most painful moments of her athletic career and potentially open the door to even bigger opportunities. Yet those ambitions no longer carry the same weight they once did.
Family Over Fighting
“I think I definitely have the ability and the opportunity to clean her clock and rewrite all of that,” Rousey said. “But it’s no longer important to me anymore.”
Instead, the former UFC superstar says her focus is on being present for her children and embracing the next chapter of her life. “My kids need me in their life and I want to be there for them,” Rousey said. “I don’t want to go back. I only want to go forward.”
For fight fans, the idea of a Rousey-Holm rematch will always remain one of MMA’s most intriguing unanswered questions. But if Rousey’s latest comments are any indication, the rivalry is destined to remain unfinished.
Even if she believes she would win the rematch, Rousey has already found something more important than redemption.
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Robert LaMar is a Deputy Editor for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
