Holly Holm set the Mixed Martial Arts community ablaze with her
destruction of Ronda Rousey at UFC 193. While Holm received her share
of adulation, and rightly so, much of the clamor was directed toward the
former champion. Overwhelmingly volatile in nature, critics not only
condemned Rousey's attitude and actions, but aimed critiques toward her tactical and
strategic abilities as well as her training. While much of the
technical criticism was valid (and indeed, I partook more than a little
myself), the popular notion that she chose to strike with Holm - and
payed for it - was not. Rousey spent the entire fight desperately
seeking out the clinch and, for the most part, failing to utilize it
effectively. What she payed for on the feet was not a willingness to
strike with Holm, it was an inability to exploit Holm's style and
capitalize on her tendencies.
