Freddie Roach News: Renowned boxing trainer says Holly Holm "embarassed" Ronda Rousey, gives thoughts on the fight
Famed boxing trainer Freddie Roach recently shared his comments regarding the recent UFC bantamweight title fight between Ronda Rousey and Holly Holm at UFC 193.
According to a report by Matt Jones of Bleacher Report, the seven-time Boxing Writers Association of America Trainer of the Year awardee explained why he picked Rousey prior to the fight.
"I picked Ronda to win that fight because I thought it would go to the ground and be over quickly, like when James Toney [fought Randy Couture], because I wasn't sure how good [Holm] was with the grappling," Roach said. "But she has 33 wins or 31 wins as a pro boxer and so forth, and she did very well."
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Roach had said in previous interviews that he believed Holm "would be destroyed" when the fight came to the ground. His assessment may have been correct, given Rousey's ten victories by armbar. The 55-year old boxing trainer did clarify that when the fight came to the feet, Holm had the advantage, particularly with boxing. And for Roach, it was quite an "embarrassing" night for the former UFC 135-pound queen.
"She made her look like an amateur boxer because [Rousey] doesn't have any boxing ability pretty much, but she does have a ground game," said Roach. "In MMA you have to have both. If you don't have like three different sports, you can't make it in MMA. She embarrassed [Rousey] a little bit I think."
In another Boxingscene report, news floated around about Roach helping Rousey out with her boxing. The trainer, however, denied all claims.
"I'm getting a lot of calls and stuff and they are saying 'Are going to train her? Are you going to train her?' I haven't talked to anybody." "Nobody has contacted me I promise," he adds.
