mma / Columns

How Does Rousey Get Her Gold Back?

November 20, 2015 | Posted by Lorenzo Vasquez

There’s a new queen in the women’s bantamweight division!

I’ll be honest with you, in a time where nearly every other person says they knew it, before Saturday night, I never though I’d be saying or writing those words. Yeah, I knew it could happen, and would if she stayed long enough. I just didn’t think it would happen now, and yeah, I got hazy and forgot just what she was stepping into and with whom. Hey, sometimes it’s hard not to get caught up in the moment.

It only took Holly Holm a round and 59 seconds to not only dethrone but, precisely and violently, dismantle the once invincible, Ronda Rousey. If you know the fight game or have experience in combat sports, particularly those pertaining to striking, then by half way through the first round you knew the rowdy one was in trouble. And, by the end of the first, you knew she had to make big changes or she wouldn’t be walking out as the champion at the end of the night. Seconds into the second round you knew we had a new champion. You can’t eat punches to the face all night unless you Mark Hunt or Fabio Maldonado. When she threw that wild left hook and hit the mat with her knee after missing, it was essentially over.

The loss was/is embarrassing. I’m not here to rag on Rousey, though. Obviously, she has taken enough criticism; and, while you can’t say she didn’t ask for it, there is a line for everything and I’m sure it’s been crossed. Rousey’s criticism has been heavy and fierce! Makes me wonder what awaits Conor McGregor the day his castle comes crashing down. I can see the memes already.

Anyways, to be blunt, Rousey had no clue as to how to deal with Holm’s approach. You can almost say she had no business being in the cage with Holm. Her striking was rudimentary at best and she had no other way of taking Holm into her game when her clinch and Judo game were stuffed. In other words, she was a fish out of water.

But that’s okay. It’s a learning experience and if Ronda Rousey learns from this experience, she’ll comeback a better and more skilled fighter. Maybe she’ll be a bit more humble as well. But there are some changes she needs to make and lessons she need to engrave.

An immediate rematch is what the UFC would want you to believe is best for the Olympian. Dana white was quick to say that was the most reasonable fight to make for Rousey and Holm. Financially, they are correct. Anderson Silva pulled in more eyes to his rematch with middleweight champion Chris Weidman. However, Rousey is no Anderson Silva when it comes to all around skill set. You see, Silva actually had the tools and experience to beat Weidman. Would he have won if his leg hadn’t broken? I don’t know, but he still had the striking to pull it off.

Rousey doesn’t appear to have the fundamental boxing and kickboxing skills to beat Holm today. Can she gain that aptitude in six months? Maybe, but chance are no. At this moment I believe Holly Holm has Rousey’s number. She was outclassed beyond outclassed by Holm. I don’t believe Rousey would win an immediate rematch and if that happens then the UFC and Women’s MMA will really lose. Think about it. Rousey would probably be more open to retiring from the sport and her aura would be completely shattered.

Rousey needs to work on the basics in boxing and kickboxing. She needs to solidify those basics and fundamentals into her game. Then she needs to learn how to transition from striking into her wheelhouse, the clinch. She hadn’t faced a top notch striker like Holm until Saturday night. Because of that she consistently got away with charging forward and swinging with no fear as she entered the pocket. Her entrances were sloppy Saturday. Against fighters like Miesha Tate, Beth Correia, and Sara McMann that was no big issue because those fighters lack the same fundamentals or Rousey’s sheer athleticism, aggression, and explosiveness to stop her.

But against Holm, that lead to the beginning of the end. Holm was able to slip out of the way, counter or land combinations, and circle away. Sure Rousey can take a punch but usually she either gets the knock down or the takedown rather quickly. When that didn’t happen she was left to take abuse and it added up fast. She needs to incorporate kicks and jabs fluidly to find her range and then she can find a home for her hooks and straight punches and disguise transitions into the clinch. It’s all fundamental and nothing fancy and boy would she be a monster, then.

However, all that won’t work without footwork and footwork is something that disappeared quickly as soon as Holm found a home for her punches. Rousey needs to incorporate more feints and she needs to cut the cage off. Now, I can’t tell you what size cage or ring Glendale Fight Club has, but if it is small compared to the UFC octagon, Rousey needs to get away from that and find a larger cage. If you’re practicing or fighting in a small cage, there isn’t much work you need to do to cut-off your opponent, training partner. But, if you’re in a large cage, it increases the amount of space you have to cover. Thus, making it a little harder to cut-off your opponent.

If Rousey was preparing for Holm in a small cage it surely didn’t help. In that regard, maybe it’s time for Rousey to make a change in camps. Her head coach certainly didn’t prepare her for an adversary like Holm and he didn’t give her sound advice between rounds. Sure, encourage your fighter, but be sure to give him or her strategic advice. Plus, his opinion of the fight is a little ridiculous. If Rousey doesn’t want to change champs then she has to bring in high level strikers, etc. I’m sure from this point of view there are other lessons and changes she can make—figuring out what to do in the rare event her Judo is ineffective, etc.

Rousey certainly has the gift to make a huge comeback and she is no stranger to losing. However, I’m sure she’s never lost the way she did to Holm. Like it has been said numerous times the last few days, true champions’ legacies are defined by how they comeback from adversity. She needs to refocus, rest, and consider putting her movie career on pause. Film what you have coming up to fulfill your obligations and throw that cash into your saving account. Then, really take a break and compliment your Judo and ground game with a solid striking game. Follow that up with a warm up bout or two. At 28, you have the time to do it. Then, take back what is yours.