Holm-Schooled Rousey Taught Lesson In Concussions

Justice for Edmond!

Ronda Rousey had a terrible gameplan at UFC 193.

Play-by-play man Mike Goldberg, later replaced by the inimitable Jon Anik, blamed the energy-draining life of a “rock star,” to which color commentator Joe Rogan quickly interjected, “she’s getting lit up.” Turns out the real reason “Rowdy” was lumbering forward with her hands down and chin up was because opponent Holly Holm concussed her with the very first punch.

And ruined her love for apples in the process.

“The Holm fight, I didn’t really get to start my process because I literally just got hit right away, and it knocked loose all my bottom teeth and I was out on my feet from the very beginning,” Rousey said during a recent Q&A to promote her new book (transcribed by MMA Fighting). “So there wasn’t like that same kind of process of what I usually have. My process was usually, I would plan out the first exchange, and everything from then on out would be an improvisation, within the range of what I trained for specifically for that person.”

I’m sure all those “secret” pre-fight concussions didn’t help.

“For Holm, what we trained a lot [was] doing lateral, side-to-side movement to herd her towards the cage,” Rousey continued. “When I was basically out on my feet, I couldn’t see distance. There’s no depth perception when you have a bad concussion. I was completely unable to carry that out and even think coherently. I wasn’t able to operate the way that I usually do. I was constantly always trying to keep pressure on the person and keep them reacting to me at all times. That’s why you never saw me, ‘Let’s back up and do this again,’ or we’re going to back up again and come back. It was one long exchange. That was basically speed decision-making, this is what was happening.”

Losing her bantamweight title to Holm also exposed all her fake friendships.

Rousey, now 37, would return the following year against Amanda Nunes, suffering her second straight knockout loss in the UFC 207 main event. The taste of defeat was enough to send “Rowdy” into retirement where she attempted to make her way into the world of professional wrestling. Unfortunately, the rigors of WWE showmanship proved too strenuous for the Olympian, who will share more details of her journey in her “Our Fight” book.