Holly Holm was a major underdog going into her UFC 193 upset of Ronda Rousey for the UFC women’s bantamweight title, and former women’s MMA star Gina Carano revealed that at one point, UFC president Dana White actually scoffed at Holm’s chances of beating Rousey.
White had been lining up possibilities for super fights for the then-unbeaten Rousey, and of five possibilities, Holm wasn’t one of them. It stands to reason then that White felt Holm would be a sort of tune-up fight for Rousey to keep the momentum while he sought a top name – perhaps Carano.
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"I remember talking to Dana White last year sometime in his office, he had the five top contenders in each weight class written on his office windows -- male and female -- and there were a couple names I couldn't for the life of me figure out, why they were not written down,” Carano told Fox Sports.
“Holly is the only one I mentioned. I felt it was important to mention she is legit and should be up there. He laughed and blew it off mentioning something about her ground game but then again he did sign her not long after that so I think he knew. She seems like she deserved that in her life and career."
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Most felt that Rousey’s ground game would be too much for Holm to handle, and once Rousey got the fight there she’d end it quickly. They didn’t count on Holm’s striking being so precise that Rousey would never have a chance to take the fight to the ground.
Holm’s win appeared to grind a lot of plans to a halt. Any super fight involving Carano, Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino, or any other name opponent fell by the wayside. It has also paralyzed Holm’s own career for the time being, since the UFC wants her to make her first defense against Rousey, who is on a six-month medical suspension. Holm wants to fight sooner than that against Miesha Tate, which is very unlikely to happen.
Holm won convincingly, but the UFC is clearly not finished trying to push Rousey as a conquering hero. Until she’s back, the rest of women’s MMA has to wait.
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