In what seemed like a no-brainer until we found out how badly Ronda Rousey had her own gray matter rattled, UFC president Dana White has confirmed that his MMA star will get her rematch with Holly Holm, after losing the title at UFC 193.
Rousey was knocked out in the second round by a head kick by Holm in the November fight after dominating all six of her previous UFC opponents.
And despite the one-sided beatdown in Melbourne, White told ESPN that the rematch was the only fight that made sense for the new UFC women's bantamweight champion.
"I think that if we didn't make the rematch, me and [UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta] should probably lose our promoter's license," White said. "That's the fight that's going to happen. That's the fight.
"Ronda Rousey has gone undefeated; she's taken the sport to another level and beaten the best women in the world in 14 seconds, 30 seconds.
"She deserves a rematch. Holly agrees she deserves a rematch. We'll figure it out."
White was unclear exactly when a rematch would take place.
Rousey was all bluster before the fight, and refused to touch gloves before Round 1, but has kept a low profile since losing. White's insistence that the rematch will take place may be an indication that the 28-year-old is looking for revenge.
It was speculated that Rousey's media obligations and roles in Hollywood movies had distracted her from preparing properly for the match — but a loss is a loss.
White insisted that it was Holm's boxing skills that laid out Rousey, rather than the former champions own shortcomings in the cage.
"I don't know what the answer is," White said. "This woman [Rousey] who was so dominant — other than the fact Holly Holm is for real.
"She's very, very good. Ronda had been a workhorse before that. Maybe everything caught up with her. Maybe she was exhausted. Or maybe Holly Holm was that good."
Got that right.
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