Wednesday 2 March 2016

Miesha Tate vs Holly Holm Breakdown: The Gameplan to Beat Holm

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.