RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 01: Ronda Rousey of the United States (red) fights Bethe Correia of Brazi (blue) l in their bantamweight title fight during the UFC 190 Rousey v Correia at HSBC Arena on August 1, 2015 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Since upsetting Ronda Rousey in their UFC match Nov. 15, Holly Holm has been a household name.
When she handed Rousey her first loss, Holm said something to her after the fight. And in an interview with Larry King, Holm revealed what it was.
“I just said, ‘You know, I really admire you for being such a dominant champion. None of us would be here without you, so I appreciate you,’” Holm said.
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Prior to the fight, there was some controversy when Rousey wouldn’t touch gloves with Holm. And there was a minor incident at the weigh-ins, when Rousey took offense to Holm putting her fist near her face.
Holm says she doesn’t have anything against Rousey, however. When asked by King if she thought Rousey was a poor sport, her answer wasn’t particularly strong. “I think she’s done great for the sport, because she’s so passionate about what she does and carries this confidence about her. Everybody has their own ways of dealing with their emotions in the sport.”
Holm was also supportive of Rousey immediately after the fight, telling TMZ Sports, “Ronda’s been a very dominant champ and taken the sport to new levels. This fight wouldn’t have happened if she hadn’t accomplished what she had accomplished, so I have a lot of respect for her.”
Rousey has been taking heat from people online for her brash demeanor. She’s on a mandatory 60-day medical suspension, with an additional 180 day suspension that can be lifted with a negative CT scan. It’s going to be a while before we see the formerly dominant fighter in the ring again, and it’ll be interesting to see who she fights and how she does.
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