Manager: Holly Holm offered Ronda Rousey rematch at UFC 200 but wants to fight sooner
UPDATE: UFC president Dana White announced that Holly Holm will defend her title against Ronda Rousey at UFC 200 in July.
The highly anticipated rematch between Holly Holm and Ronda Rousey is already in the works, but the new women's bantamweight champion would rather stay busy and fight again before the proposed date at UFC 200 in July 2016.
According to Holm's manager and promoter, Lenny Fresquez, UFC officials met with them this week to discuss plans for her next fight at the huge card planned for July 9 in Las Vegas at the new arena being built there by MGM properties.
"They want Holly to wait for Ronda," Fresquez said when speaking to the Albuquerque Journal. "Anything can happen in the sport, but we haven't come to terms on the rematch, and until we come to terms we just want to keep plugging away."
Fresquez said the UFC is confident that Rousey will be recovered from the injuries she suffered in a vicious head-kick knockout loss to Holm in November and then face Holm for a second time in July.
As big as that fight would be, Fresquez would prefer to keep Holm busy in the interim with a title bout against top contender Miesha Tate in "February or March."
It appears negotiations are ongoing, although Fresquez commented about Holm's payday for the first fight with Rousey and said her compensation was "not enough."
They will continue to work on a new contract and a bout agreement for Holm's next fight, but as of now it remains up in the air whether the new champion will wait for Rousey's return in July as the UFC has requested — or if they will match her up with someone like Tate earlier in the year.
"We're in contract negotiations (for the rematch)," Fresquez confirmed.
No decision has been made as of yet but considering the magnitude of the UFC 200 card next year, it's likely the promotion will push for Holm to wait until Rousey can return to set up what would likely be one of the biggest fights in the history of the sport.
