The shocking defeat of former UFC Women Bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey at the hands of challenger Holly Holm had been one of the most astounding matches in the sport. Before the said face off, the odds were clearly for the Rouser, who stood undefeated 12-0 until that day. While Holm showed off her impressive chops during the match, fans and followers of the UFC still see Rousey as a clear favorite for a potential rematch.
After the news of Rousey's defeat surfaced, some public figures chipped in their two cents regarding her plight at the moment. Dana White, the president of the UFC, insisted that Rousey remains a "polarizing champion" in the sport. He added that the greatness of the former UFC champ could be compared to boxing greats such as Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali.
"It just shows what a polarizing figure and what a polarizing champion she was," shared White in an interview with TMZ, referring to the status of Rousey after the fight against Holm. He added, "It's crazy, man. I was saying this morning, we used to call her, she was like our version of Mike Tyson. She had that Mike Tyson aura about her. Now, in losing, you see that she really did. She really did have that Mike Tyson aura."
White also noted that the defeat of Rousey will only bolster her campaign for a rematch. According to the UFC president, the challenge would lie on how the former undefeated champ will rise to the occasion to prove her mettle.
He said, "The thing is at the end of the day, we found out Muhammad Ali was human. Mike Tyson was human. Ronda Rousey is human. Everybody is human. In every sport, people win and lose. I think the story now is, how will Ronda come back from this?"
Meanwhile, the boxing world has been abuzz since Rousey's defeat against Holm. In fact, even Oscar Dela Hoya weighed in on the matter. He said, via an interview with Fight Hype, that Rousey must not be ashamed of her loss. Dela Hoya also pointed out that the factors that could have affected Rousey during the match included distractions such as her Hollywood commitments. According to the former boxer, such things could make fighters take for granted their training. Nonetheless, Dela Hoya praised Rousey for her courage to face her most formidable foe.
"Well that's what happens when you've faced the best," said Dela Hoya. He added, "Look, it happened to Muhammad Ali; it happened to the very best. When you take chances, when you dare to be great, then you're going to get beat at some point in your career. That's what happens. I mean, she didn't want to take the easy route and just fight anybody. Good for [Holly] Holm."
As for Rousey's nemesis, Floyd Mayweather Jr, the undefeated boxing champ surprisingly sided with the fallen UFC fighter. Simply shrugging off the monumental loss of Rousey, Mayweather shared that both winning and losing are parts of being in this industry. Although almost all fighters experience losses, Mayweather found it appalling for the netizens to be seemingly feasting on Rousey's pain.
"I don't think it's cool how everyone is trolling her on social media," Mayweather commented via Fight Hype. He added, "Certain things you have to learn. People will love you on Friday and then Sunday morning, it's nothing but negative comments and people making jokes and people making fun about you, which I don't think is cool."
Although a comeback for the Rouser has been widely anticipated, one MMA fighter believes that such may not be the best move for the fallen champ. UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo shared in an interview with MMA Fighting that Rousey should simply follow the move made by Gina Carano. Following her defeat in the hands of Cris Cyborg, Carano decided to drop out of the sport and pursue a Hollywood career full time.
"I think it's really hard for her [Rousey] to return to fighting," stated Aldo. He added, "Her career has taken a different direction. If I'm making a lot of money doing movies or something else, I'd go that direction too. Am I going to mess my face up getting punched in the face? You're crazy [laughs]. In my opinion, I don't think (she fights again). If she comes back, of course she can (win the title). She was always a fighter, but if I were her, I wouldn't come back."
