She won't admit it, but Ronda Rousey got what she wanted Saturday night.
Miesha Tate stunned UFC women's bantamweight champion Holly Holm with a fifth-round submission to become world champion, the Los Angeles Times reported.
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For Rousey --- and Holm --- the massive payday from their rematch potentially is gone, save a rematch between Tate and Holm this summer that gives Holm a chance to regain the belt.
But Tate, having lost twice to Rousey, almost certainly will wait for Ronda to show the world that she, too, can beat Rousey.
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Tate's victory leaves Rousey with two options, both better than the ones she faced had Holm defended her title.
Rousey knows how to beat Tate, knows that if she just trains hard enough, she can get Tate in the arm bar submission and win the title back without having to go through Holm. Then she can determine whether she wants a less glamorous rematch with Holm or ride off into the sunset and retire on top.
If Rousey is having doubts about returning to the UFC, which she has exhibited throughout the aftermath of her loss to Holm in November, she now can use Holm's loss as a chance to escape into her acting career full time. She can say she's already beaten Tate twice, and she doesn't have anything to prove against the new champion.
As for a rematch Holm, Rousey can just say she's too far along in her new career path to put it on hold to fight Holm in a non-title fight.
UFC president Dana White said he was worried about a Tate victory in terms of a box office bonanza between Holm and Rousey, so Saturday night's result makes him the big loser.
Holm also lost, but to a lesser extent, as she was two minutes away from retaining her title, by the Times' account and still could win back the belt. She said she didn't want her career to be defined by Rousey, so she'll have to win the title back to make that happen.
But if Tate was the winner Saturday night, Rousey was a bigger winner because it gives her an in to --- or an out from --- a UFC return.
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