Former boxer outpunched undefeated champion
Wednesday 18 November 2015 13:42, UK
Holly Holm became the first fighter to win legitimate world championships in boxing and MMA when she knocked out UFC star Ronda Rousey.
The boxing community rallied around the former WBA champion's victory at UFC 193, with the likes of Tyson Fury and Carl Frampton joining Sky Sports' experts Paul Smith and Jamie Moore in analysing the fight on Twitter.
So, was Holm's punch-perfect effort proof that boxing can outfight MMA?
Holm took a page out of the 'boxing 101' manual to beat Rousey - it was beginner's stuff from the former pugilist but the correct implementation of those fundamental principles looked spectacular.
Hit from a position where you cannot be hit, then move. The brilliance of Holm's performance was in its simplicity, which exposed Rousey's naivety in boxing - the sport in which she claimed she could win championships. That bold proclamation was shown up as she fell to the ground while swinging and missing a haymaker.
Rousey made a big mistake of following a puncher and was picked apart.
From the opening bell, southpaw Holm side-stepped in a circular motion to evade Rousey whose movement was largely restricted to charging forwards in a straight line. Frequently stood at the perfect distance, Holm would land a single shot (she rarely threw combinations because they would increase the chance of being dragged into close quarters) before veering off to the left or right. "Rousey made a big mistake of following a puncher and was picked apart," tweeted Lennox Lewis who labelled her boxing skills as "almost amateurish".
The fight was just seconds old when the first of Holm's straight left hands found their mark prompting Carl Frampton to tweet "Rousey couldn't deal with a southpaw stance". Rousey's feet were planted as she swung power shots, and her head movement was minimal, making her a sitting duck.
It is also notable that, while Rousey's Olympic experience can never be underestimated, Holm is a veteran of 38 professional boxing matches. While she is just 10 fights into her MMA career, a 33-2-3 record inside the boxing ring would have hardened her to the pressure that has stifled Rousey's previous opponents.
The vicious head kick that rendered Rousey unconscious is certainly not a weapon borrowed from the boxing ring but has emerged as Holm's trump card on more than one occasion. Her hands are fast but are not bludgeoning - for all the talk about her boxing background she forced just nine knockouts in 38 ring outings, then just one of her 10 MMA victories has come via KO after punches. In the cage, a variety of kicking techniques have led to six stoppages. So, what's Holm's most dangerous attribute?
Holm would have become a statistic, regardless of her impressive array of strikes, had she not manoeuvered herself out of the firing line when the fighters briefly grappled - an interlude that Rosi Sexton, Britain's first female UFC fighter, believes was crucial.
"When they tied up, Holly did a great job of controlling the clinch and making sure she wasn't taken down," Sexton told Sky Sports. "On the ground, she defended perfectly. The few times that they grappled, Holly was in exactly the right position.
Holly's control of distance in the clinch won that fight, not her boxing. The reason she won was not because she hit Ronda - she's been hit in every fight.
"Holly's control of distance in the clinch won that fight, not her boxing. The reason she won was not because she hit Ronda - she's been hit in every fight - but Holly got herself into a position where she could do it more than once by preventing Ronda's clinch."
On one occasion, Holm surprisingly initiated a grappling sequence with a takedown that was momentary and did no physical damage. But, it put points on the scoreboard for Holm (which was ultimately unnecessary) and served to worry Rousey that her perceived advantage in the clinch department could be compromised. These nuances enabled Holm's boxing to flourish and steal the show, says Sexton.
"It looks like Rousey was drawn into a boxing match and didn't use her judo, but it's easy to miss the things that Holly did to stop her closing the distance," she said. "Rousey got frustrated and eventually got caught."
Rousey's inability to get closer and throw Holm was not entirely down to the challenger's lateral movement, honed in a boxing gym. While that played a part, Holm implemented a technique called the 'oblique kick' - a probing kick delivered from Holm's leading leg to Rousey's kneecap. Somewhat like a jab, but one that can do devastating inner damage and, when produced as effectively as Holm, will naturally make the victim think twice before wading forwards. The result? Rousey became stuck in the mud at punching range.
