Holly Holm claims she was the catalyst for Ronda Rousey's latest defeat as former champion hopes career isn't defined by victory over UFC star
- Holly Holm shot to fame by knocking out Ronda Rousey back in 2015Â
- Rousey returned after a year out to be crushed by Amanda Nunes in 48 seconds
- Holm claims her victory over Rousey played a big role in the performance
- The Preacher's Daughter faces Germaine de Randamie at UFC 208
Holly Holm's life changed forever when she knocked out the seemingly unstoppable Ronda Rousey in front of 56,000 people back in 2015.
And 'The Preacher's Daughter' believes the woman on the end of that devastating head kick was never the same again.
Rousey, who said she had contemplated suicide in the wake of the defeat, took a year off before returning to face Amanda Nunes in December in an attempt to reclaim the title she had held for so long.
Holly Holm claims she was the catalyst for Ronda Rousey's latest devastating defeat
Rousey's return lasted just 48 seconds as she suffered defeat by Amanda Nunes
Unfortunately for the UFC's first true megastar, it all went horribly wrong, the champion finishing her in just 48 seconds.
Here's what I think about that,' Holm said on a UFC conference call. A lot of people have asked me about that fight ever since she had that fight with Nunes.Â
'Coming off a knockout, Ronda or anybody else - I'm not saying it's just her, it's just fighters - you come off from a knockout. It is very, very hard mentally and emotionally.Â
'If her and Nunes fought before Ronda and I fought, I do feel like that fight would have gone longer than it did, I really do,'
'I know she had a year off but it was a year off and back into a title fight. I don't know how much she changed in there with training. I don't know.
Holm (right) knocked out Rousey (left) in 2015 to win the UFC bantamweight title
Rousey said that she had contemplated suicide following the defeat at UFC 193
'I think any fighter they can only know for themselves what they really feel, but I guess I don't really feel like I broke her, but I do know that coming off of the knockout, when I knocked her out, that helped the fight with Nunes go faster if that makes any sense. I don't mean that in any rude way.'Â
The emphatic nature of the loss has lead most to believe that Rousey's fighting days are over with UFC president Dana White admitting he thinks 'she's probably done.'
'Who knows if Ronda's done or not,' Holm added. 'Maybe she'll come back in the future. Maybe she just needs a little time to really take time off.
'Right now I bet she just kind of feels 'you know what, maybe I'm going to focus on other things right now'. Going from a big high to a big low.'
Holm has also struggled in the after becoming the first person to defeat arguably the greatest female fighter in history, losing both of her following bouts.
Holm is bidding to become the promotion's first female multiple weight champion
'I don't want my whole career to be defined around getting the belt from Ronda,' Holm said.Â
'I want my career to be defined by me being the best fighter I can be and accomplishing the biggest things I can, from whatever competition comes in front of me.'Â
And she has the perfect chance to climb further out of the Rousey spotlight this Saturday as she takes on Germaine de Randamie for the inaugural featherweight championship.Â
A win at UFC 208 would make Holm the first ever two division female champion in UFC history.
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