Holly Holm thinks the UFC could be holding her back for Ronda Rousey rematch
Former woman's bantamweight champion Holly Holm did not get the rematch with Miesha Tate she desperately wanted after losing the belt to "Cupcake" at UFC 196 in March.
Tate was instead matched up with fourth-ranked women's bantamweight Amanda Nunes who, despite her lack of name recognition, has been on the shortlist of contenders since before Holm defeated Ronda Rousey at UFC 193.
Many, including Holm, thought a rematch was a forgone conclusion, given the way the fight with Tate went -- Holm controlled rounds 1, 3, and 4 before losing via submission in the fifth. The UFC, however, decided to go with Nunes, leaving Holm on the outside looking in at the highly anticipated event at UFC 200, which will also feature a women's bantamweight fight between top-5 competitors Cat Zingano and Julianna Pena.
But it appears Holm is looking at the missed opportunity as a glass-half-full situation. When asked by The MMA Hour's Ariel Helwani whether she believes the UFC is holding off on booking her because of a potential rematch with Rousey, the former boxing champ responded that it's quite possible:
"It's very possible," Holm said. "I don't know what their real thinking is, but they're obviously a successful business for a reason. They're a successful promotion. They usually have their reasons behind everything.
"I'll be ready either way. If I rematch with Ronda, I'm gonna train my butt off. If I rematch with Tate, I'm gonna train my butt off. If they give me one of the other top girls in the meantime, I'm gonna train my butt off.
"I feel like at this point, not having the rematch, which is what I really wanted, I kind of just changed my train of thought to just be open to whatever. I don't want to be so focused on that that if something else comes my way that I don't take advantage of the opportunity."
Given the recent changes to the landscape of the women's bantamweight division, including the arrival of Brazilian powerhouse Cris 'Cyborg', there are plenty of matchups to be made. But if Holm isn't fighting Tate next, Rousey could, and probably should, be her next opponent.
