UFC 193 Preview: What to Expect from Rousey vs Holm Matchup
Australian mixed martial arts fans will once again experience UFC action at the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne when reigning women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey stakes her unbeaten record and title against one of the most formidable challengers to date, former boxing champion Holly Holm.
The fight card dubbed as "UFC 193" will feature the bantamweight championship as the headliner, while the co-main event pits strawweight standout Joanna Jedrzejczyk against Valeri Letourneau of American Top Team.
Holm is a relative unknown for mainstream UFC fans because she actually started her career as a boxer, which is also why her punch is her main weapon of choice in The Octagon. However, it is interesting to learn that as a boxer, she does not have an impressive knockout percentage. The 34-year-old American fighter will be relying on constant movement in order to avoid getting caught by Rousey's brutality.
Holm will be in for the toughest fight of her career. She doesn't have to fret about that though because every single challenger Rousey faces considers it as the most challenging in their careers. She has shown some potential in her left kick, as well as her quick punches. The only problem is that if those will actually hurt the judoka expert.
One thing that is getting more and more obvious about Rousey's fighting style is that she is hittable, especially when she blindly rushes into a clinch. But her chin that is as solid as any male fighter and the brawling style are certainly going to overpower the less-experienced Holm. It remains to be seen come fight night if Holm has enough tricks in her bag to pull off an upset. Otherwise, it will again be a walk in the park for the champion.
Aside from the two women's bouts, the card also features the rematch between Antonio Silva and Mark Hunt and a middleweight encounter between Uriah Hall and Robert Whittaker. There's also a heavyweight showdown between former NCAA wrestler Jared Rosholt and Stefan Struve.