UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey – 12-0, 3 KOs, 9 SUBs – has always been a very expensive bet, and that’s not changing in her next title defense no matter who she faces. Previously slated to face rival Miesha Tate, the UFC has changed course and booked “Rowdy” against undefeated Holly Holm – 9-0, 6 KOs. Now she’s an even bigger favorite.
CURRENT ODDS
Our online UFC odds currently list Rousey as a 15-to-1 favorite, with a -1500 money line. Holm clocks in at +900. The total on rounds for this five-round bout will likely be set at 1.5 rounds, with the under expected to be the far more expensive bet. And because this is a Rousey fight, there should be a ton of prop bets released during the week of the bout. Make sure to check back in to see the latest odds, like what round the fight will end and how the fight will end.
THE BETTING PERSPECTIVE
In Rousey’s last fight against Bethe Corriea, Rousey closed at -1418 at BookMaker and was as high as -1800 in a few sportsbook. When the UFC announced that the champ would be fighting Tate, we opened with Rousey at -1100. And now, Holm is the biggest underdog of the three, with Rowdy at -1500.
Holm entered the UFC with much hype after a decorated boxing career that spanned over a decade. During that type, she amassed a 33-2-3 record, earned multiple championships and a “Female Fighter of the Year” award. She continued her success in MMA, opening her cagefighting career with six knockouts in seven victories before getting her callup to the octagon.
Once could say that Rousey and Holm have been on a collision course ever since “The Preacher’s Daughter” crossed over to MMA. She has world-class background in combat sports, even if she lacks the formal grappling training that other women in the UFC have harnessed for years. Her credentials alone taps into the perpetual “boxing vs. MMA” conversation.
But this is probably a case of too much, too soon for Holm. In her UFC debut against the Raquel Pennington, a fighter with a 5-5 record, Holm labored her way to a split decision victory in a matchup she was expected to dominate. She looked much better in her second outing against Marion Reneau, but didn’t show anything that made her look like she’s currently a title contender.
However, there was marked improvement in Holm’s bout against Reneau. She looked much more comfortable, got into a great rhythm and paced herself like a veteran. It’s unfortunate that she wasn’t allowed to continue to grow before fighting a terror like Rousey. But hey, somebody’s gotta fight Rousey, and the public wasn’t so keen on watching her beat Tate for a third time.
FIGHT ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
We all know how good Rousey is. And at 28 years old, she’s squarely in her athletic prime. Rowdy has pretty much zero wear and tear on her body since she ends all her fights so quickly, and amazingly, she’s still improving. Many of her peers claim that she’s at least 10 years ahead of the women’s fight game, and I’m inclined to agree.
Holm is an excellent kickboxer and little else at this point in her career. She’s a good athlete, but nowhere near Ronda’s level. We also know nothing about her ground game because she’s been able to keep her fights standing. What we do know is that she is years behind in grappling because she spent her whole life training for boxing.
This is not going to end well for Holm. Even if Rousey elects to keep it standing, she is far too savage for Holm to keep up. I see Rousey forcing a clinch and ending the fight in the first round with an all-out assault of knees and punches.
HOW TO BET
Sign into BookMaker to get odds on Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm, which takes place on Saturday, January 2, 2015 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card will is expected to be televised on pay-per-view. Bookmaker’s MMA odds includes money lines, totals, prop bets and more.
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