In response to Ronda Rouseys justifications, Holly Holm says She wasnt better than me, especially that night!
When Holly Holms foot bounced off Ronda Rouseys jaw in 2015, shocking everyone, the UFC bantamweight champion fell to the ground.
One of the biggest upsets in UFC history at the time was Holms knockout victory to capture the belt since then, Holm has had a consistent presence in the bantamweight rankings for almost nine years. However, Rousey made it through one more battle before deciding to end his career.
In her autobiography, Our Fight, which was just published, Rousey discusses her history of concussions and how they essentially made her give up fighting she specifically mentioned that she was struggling with the aftermath of a concussion when she faced Holm following a tumble down some stairs prior to UFC 193.
in reply Although Holm commended Rousey as an amazing champion she laughed at the former champions justification for downplaying her victory.
During UFC 300 media day Holm stated So everything I say which Im sure people will just take parts of what Im about to say and make it sound how you guys want but I say this all out of respect.
you need to have a dominant champion in order to have a major upset like that fight I would not have been able to be so upset if she had not been so dominant having said that I was the superior fighter That night I was the more skilled fighter.
Regarding Rouseys self reported history of concussions Holm thinks thats typical for anyone who competes in combat sports for any length of time She is aware that she has experienced her share of concussions but she will not let them serve as a justification for previous setbacks.
Anyone who has pursued a career in fighting has experienced a concussion at some point Holm stated If you look back at some of my past activities and boxing matches, you can see that I have suffered from concussions I will never sit here and blame that for a setback.
While on the book tour Rousey talked about how hurtful it was to lose to Holm in that way especially when she knew she wasnt feeling her best.
No one in the UFC could have defeated Rousey if she had been competing at her best she continued. She also expressed frustration that Im not recognized as the greatest ever, when I know I am.
That mindset helps to understand why Rouseys remarks didn’t completely surprise Holm After all these time, Rousey still finds it difficult to concede defeat.
“I think that it’s probably just hard for her to maybe admit that — I was just the better fighter,” Holm said. “Was she so dominant and a good champion? 100 percent, I give her that. But she wasn’t better than me, and especially that night.”
