It's not the bout to end all bouts against Cris "Cyborg" Justino. It's not even Miesha Tate. But at least we now know who UFC star Ronda Rousey will faceoff against next in the octagon. Rousey, appearing on ABC's Good Morning America on Friday, revealed that her next bout will come against former professional boxer Holly Holm on Jan. 2 in Las Vegas, per ESPN.
It will be Rousey's seventh title defense as the UFC women's bantamweight champion.
Rousey, displaying some of those strong promotional skills UFC progenitor Dana White has probably passed onto her, talked up Holm as a viable combatant.
"She's the most decorated striker we have in all of mixed martial arts," Rousey said of Holm, via ESPN. "Definitely my biggest challenge to date. I'm super excited about it."
Holm, 9-0 thus far in her mixed martial arts career, brought an 11-year professional boxing career to a close in 2013 so that she could focus more fully on MMA. She was named Ring Magazine's Fighter of the Year in 2005 and 2006. Holm has knocked out six of her nine opponents and is 2-0 after signing with the UFC last year.
"She's not the average chick I would fight. She's the best striker I've ever fought and striking is something I learned much later in my career," Rousey told Good Morning's hosts, per ESPN.
Rousey, of course, is coming off a 34-second demolishing of Bethe Correia at UFC 190 on Aug. 1. While Tate was the expected choice for Rousey's next bout and "Cyborg" was the longshot hope, we now know that Holm will be next in line to ply her pugilistic wares against Rowdy.
"I can take anybody," Rousey said. "I prepare for a five-round war every time I get in there. No one's easy until you beat them. Holly Holm is the type ready to go 12 boxing rounds."
