Ronda Rousey Prepares For UFC 193, We Can’t Help But Wonder What’s Next
Ronda Rousey is preparing for her UFC 193 match with Holly Holm. The fight will be Rousey’s 12th title defense. The undefeated women’s bantamweight champion (12-0) will face yet another supposed challenge. If she can defeat the also unblemished Holm (8-0), what is next in line for her? We cannot help but wonder.
No one wants to look past Holly Holm as a legitimate challenger to Ronda Rousey. History has us trained differently, unfortunately.
Anyone who has watched a Ronda Rousey fight rarely sees her challenged. UFC head honcho Dana White has done a great job of promoting each of her matches. Her opponents always receive a buildup. Their skills and abilities are never short-changed, and neither are their accomplishments. Holly Holm is no exception.
There is one difference between Holm and Ronda Rousey’s previous foes. Her striking ability sets her apart. Everything that we have been told about her is true. She is a talented boxer. Her boxing skills could keep Rousey at a distance for a little while. It is what she does as the champion draws in closer. That will determine how long she lasts. Not making it out of the first round puts Holm in the same class with every Ronda Rousey opponent not named Meisha Tate. That could damage her career.
A Holly Holm win would catapult her in the consciousness of mixed martial arts lore. A win, which is expected for Ronda Rousey, will lead to some uncertainty about her future.
Could a rematch with Bethe Correia be in the works?
Ronda Rousey destroyed Bethe Correia over the summer. That does not mean the then-overmatched challenger could not get a second crack at the bantamweight belt.
According to Bloody Elbow, Correia began working with the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in September. She wants to prove that her 34-second loss to Rousey was a fluke.
A competitive fight is uncommon for Rousey. Many MMA observers were hoping for Correia to push her a bit, if for no other reason but to see how the champion would handle adversity.
Many are hoping for Holm to offer some type of resistance.
As dominant as Ronda Rousey has been, she can improve by being pushed. Win or lose, most people expect her to win, but what is next?
Hollywood is calling Ronda Rousey’s name. She is scheduled to begin filming her biopic and the remake of the cult classic film Roadhouse. She also has a book, an autobiography, that she will undoubtedly take some time to promote. Her recount of when she had to fight her ex-boyfriend was chronicled by ESPN. Her autobiography promises to be a hit on the bookshelves.
The next installment from the Expendables series will also begin its filming at some point in 2016. Rousey intends to reprise her role in that movie as well.
With a hectic year on the horizon, when will she fight again? Who will she fight?
There is always a rematch between Rousey and the aforementioned Meisha Tate that could take place. Tate is the only one to go beyond the first round against Ronda Rousey. They have a legit dislike for each other, therefore the fight would already have a buildup. The first two showdowns were one-sided, though. That is where things get disappointing.
Other options Ronda Rousey has for opposition are Correia and Cat Zingano.
In Zingano’s case, her record-setting defeat in 14 seconds should be avenged at some point. Outside distractions and poor strategy doomed Zingano from the outset. Another crack at Ronda Rousey would be earned if she lay to waste the competition in front of her, as she did to get her first shot.
Keep a sharp eye on Julianna Pena. She is quietly working her way up to earn a shot at Ronda Rousey. Their fight could happen later in 2016.
Do not expect Ronda Rousey to get back inside the UFC octagon any sooner than March or April. She will take a little time off to focus on the next phase of her meteoric rise.
[Photo by Frazier Harrison/Getty Images Entertainment]
