According to Time Magazine, Ronda Rousey will be rematching Holly Holm as early as July 9, 2016.
UFC President Dana White told the Los Angeles Times Holm would face Rousey at their next fight, scheduled for July 9. The plans contradict the claims of Holm’s manager, Lenny Fresquez, who thought Holm should fight Miesha Tate next instead.
“I’m not sure Ronda will be ready for a July fight,” Fresquez told the Times. “She took a severe beating and I don’t think it’s in her best interest to take the next fight so fast.” But White told the Times he talked to Rousey all the time, and that she is ready to be Holm’s next opponent.
“We’re real concerned with his opinion,” White added, sarcastically, in response to Fresquez’ concerns.
After Rousey’s second-round knockout, she posted to Instagram that she would be back after taking “a little bit of time.”
Rousey conducted her first interview since the devastating loss with ESPN The Magazine. Rousey is very upset with the loss and is also still suffering the after effects of the head kick:
“(I’m) really (expletive) sad,”
“It might be three to six months before I can eat an apple, let alone take an impact.”
About her return to MMA and a rematch with Holly Holm. Dana White said there would be an immediate rematch but she will probably be out for at least a year, Rousey is also hungry for revenge:
“Maybe I can’t do it all before my prime, before my body is done,” she says. “But (expletive) it, maybe I can.
“I need to come back. I need to beat this chick. Who knows if I’m going to pop my teeth out or break my jaw or rip my lip open again. I have to f*cking do it. It doesn’t matter. I have to do it.”
“I just feel so embarrassed,” Rousey said. “How I fought after that is such an embarrassing representation of myself. I wasn’t even f*cking there.”
About the rest of her MMA career:
“I guess it’s all going to be determined by what happens in the rematch. Everything is going to be determined by that. Either I’ll win and keep going or I won’t and I’ll be done with everything.”
She is staying with her striking coach Edmond Tarverdyan despite criticism of the strategy used during the title fight where Rousey kept coming forward.
“Of course I’m staying [with Tarverdyan]. That’s my mom’s opinion, not mine.”
