SPORTS
18 Obiter Dicta
Holmward Bound
staff writer › k areem webster
D
on’t act like you were the one who
predicted this.
On November 15th, at approximately
one o’clock a.m. Eastern Standard Time
(EST), the mixed martial arts (MMA) world was
flipped upside down. It was one of those moments
that every fan that watched will remember, recalling
their whereabouts and feelings when it happened.
On November 15th, I had every intention of writing a comparison of the celebration of “Rowdy”
Ronda Rousey, (at the time) Ultimate Fighting
Championship (UFC) women’s bantamweight division champion, with the relative reluctance to promote one of the best tennis players of all-time,
Serena Williams. My article was going to highlight the accomplishments of both athletes and
demonstrate that while Williams was clearly the
more dominant athlete over a longer period of time
and with a larger sample size of competition,
Rousey was promoted as more of a “hero” (or
heroine) in sports culture.
That was my going to be the focus of my
article. That was until I watched UFC 193.
In what will unequivocally be one of the
top sports stories of the year, fans around the
world, witnessed the most dominant MMA fighter
in the world decimated at the hands of a relatively
unknown (but skilled nevertheless) boxer named
Holly Holm. What was jarring was the way in which
Rousey looked so outmatched and unprepared to
spar with her challenger. The sports world had yet
to see the world’s most dangerous woman reeling,
appearing anxious and desperate. Then again, the
sports world had not seen her unconscious on the
mat, with a mouth full of blood.
Pundits had Holm giving Rousey a difficult time
in the octagon, and perhaps sending the champ to
her first decision in the UFC, but no one predicted a
second-round knockout reminiscent of Sweet Chin
Music from the Heartbreak Kid himself, Shawn
Michaels.
To really, truly appreciate the legend of Rousey, it
is important for me to take you back to a time – any
particular time prior to November 15th – where she
was heralded as the most dominant fighter ever to
grace the UFC. At the age of twenty-eight, Rousey
was undefeated in her MMA career, boasting several first round submissions, including a fight that
lasted thirteen seconds. It was not just the mere
fact that Rousey was undefeated, it was her precocious superstardom, and her dominance that helped
advance the resources that the UFC placed into
the women’s weight divisions. Her celebrity transcended MMA, and was beginning to surpass sports.
In September, Rousey was ranked number forty on
Fortune Magazine’s “40 Under 40” influential persons in business list.
Aside from her fighting prowess and knack for
book nerd. Her attire was often comprised of hoodies and sweatpants. She dealt with substance abuse
and depression. Ronda Rousey was very much a real
person, it seemed. The fact that she could whoop
your butt was just icing on the cake.
The press loved her. Everyone respected her.
Many heralded Rousey as the Muhammed Ali of
MMA. Her dominance against her weight division had analysts and fans clamouring for a match
against Cris “Cyborg” Justino, a fighter who dominates in Invicta Fighting Championship, an allwomen’s MMA organization. Some fans lamented
the fact that Rousey was too dominant and her fights
were becoming predictable. The hype was there, to
say the least. Ronda Rousey was immortal.
This year it seemed as though Rousey believed
her own hype. Nine of Rousey’s victories lasted less
than a minute. Before November 15th, she had only
been past the first round of a bout once. Rousey was
getting into shoving matches at weigh-ins and social
media wars with female fighters. As much as the
world was cheering Rousey on, it seemed as though
there was a huge contingent yearning for her
to lose, especially in an embarrassing fashion.
On November 15th, the sport witnessed a new
world order, and as much credit as Holly Holm
is to be given for obliterating her opponent,
the discussion will be about “Rowdy” Ronda
Rousey and her mortality. Holm was too tactful
to be considered a fluke. What is Rousey going to
reclaim her belt? More importantly, have we seen the
end of the world’s (former) most dangerous woman?
All credit is due to Holly Holm, who just completed the biggest upset in UFC history. She is no
amateur, but it seemed as though she would be in
over her head with Rousey.
There is a new women’s bantamweight champion
“This year it seemed as though
Rousey believed her own hype.”
ê Photo credit: Performgroup.com
applying the armbar, Rousey was seen as one of the
more attractive athletes in arguably the most violent sport on the planet. She had a radiant smile and
was often modeling in various magazines. In addition to this, her candor and down-to-earth personality seemed to resonate with fans, and it seemed
as though she was just your average girl who happened to be one of the most dangerous fighters on
planet Earth. Rousey could be just as awkward as
the average person or candid enough to have you
wonder “did she just say that?” Her love life was kept
out of the press. She is a huge video game and comic
» see holmward , page 23