While Ronda Rousey had a sensible gameplan in place for her title defense against Holly Holm, everything went out of the window when ‘The Preacher’s Daughter’ punched her in the face and ‘knocked loose’ all her bottom teeth.
On November 15, 2015, in front of 56,214 fans at the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, the legend who’d pioneered a new era of women’s MMA, was rendered unconscious, calling a halt on her reign atop the bantamweight division and subsequently ushering in the beginning of the end of her fantastic career.
Ronda Rousey had a gameplan against Holly Holm before her teeth were ‘knocked loose’
The iconic phrase coined by the great Mike Tyson, ‘Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face’, couldn’t have rung truer than when Ronda Rousey took on Holly Holm.
At the peak of her powers, ‘Rowdy’ was held in the highest of regards, with the fighter revolutionizing women’s MMA, appearing on chat shows, and even convincing Joe Rogan that she could destroy Floyd Mayweather if she ever got the chance.
However, in a moment that will live with combat sports enthusiasts for the rest of time, Holm knocked her brutally unconscious with a head kick heard around the world.
In a testament to her honesty, during a recent Q&A to promote her latest autobiography ‘Our Fight’, the 37-year-old confessed that she never even got started, with her rival almost knocking her teeth out straight after the opening bell.
She explained: “The Holm fight, I didn’t really get to start my process because I literally just got hit right away, and it knocked loose all my bottom teeth, and I was out on my feet from the very beginning. So, there wasn’t that same kind of process of what I usually have.
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“I would plan out the first exchange, and everything from then on out would be an improvisation, within the range of what I trained for specifically for that person.”
In reality, Rousey intended to keep the former WBC boxing Queen off the center line and bully her against the cage, giving her the opportunity to use her Olympic judo skills to take the fight to the ground.
However, from the moment that first shot landed, the world was swept from beneath her feet, with Rousey spiraling into the abyss.
She lost her next fight to Amanda Nunes in even more devastating fashion, before walking away from the sport for good.
But in a testament to her fighting spirit, she rallied back, paving a career for herself in WWE where she won an impressive three world titles.
Sadly, however, she’ll always be remembered for turning her back on the sport as soon as the tide turned rough, unlike one man, who’s ready to head straight back into the fire that’s burned him twice before.
Chael Sonnen reveals his biggest fear ahead of his fight against Anderson Silva
Blessed with remarkable powers of charisma, Chael Sonnen has solidified his place as one of the most popular fighters in combat sports history.
However, behind the bravado of the fan-favorite stands a normal man, terrified of the ramifications of a third loss to Anderson Silva.
Ultimately, the careers of ”The American Gangster’ and ‘The Spider’ will be forever intertwined. And while that’s fantastic for the Brazilian, it’s not so great for the American, considering he’s currently 0-2 in the famous rivalry.
Therefore, when he sets foot in the ring with his nemesis in his backyard of São Paulo, Brazil, he’ll do everything in his power to claim the victory that has for so long illuded him.
But despite possessing unwavering self-belief, there is one concern niggling away at the back of his mind.
Not good: MMA legend is terrified for Chael Sonnen ahead of his boxing bout with Anderson Silva