Holly Holm knocked out Ronda Rousey to win the UFC Womens Bantamweight title, in what is being described as the biggest upset in the history of mixed martial arts. David "Vegas Dave" Oancea, the sports gambler who famously made $2.5 million making a Kansas City Royals futures bet recently, made $240,000 from the massive Ronda Rousey upset last night.
Fansided, which covers sports, entertainment, and lifestyle news, reported that Vegas Dave wagered $20,000 on a moneyline bet. That wager, which according to a ticket pic posted online, was made on November 1, had Holly Holm as a +$1200 underdog. When Holm knocked out the previously unbeaten UFC champ in the 2nd round of the bantamweight fight, he collected nearly a quarter-of-a-million dollars.
Holly Holm a +$1200 Underdog
Coming into the fight, few people expected Ronda Rousey to lose. Rousey was a former Olympic Bronze medalist in judo. She had a 12-0 mixed martial arts career and was dominant in her 6-fight UFC career.
During her title run, Ronda Rousey developed a reputation for quick fights and an unbeatable mystique. Her arm bar submissions had finished-off several opponents in under 30 seconds, and a couple had suffered dislocated elbows. Combined with beauty, charisma, and good press, "Rowdy" Rousey had become one of the stars of combat sports.
Holly Holm's Boxing Background
Of Rousey's list of opponents, Holly Holm had by far the best pedigree. Holm had fought 38 fights as a professional boxer and been a world champion for years in that sports--eventually fighting 19 different championship bouts and being named Womens Fighter of the Year in 2005 and 2006 by respected publications. Holly Holm also had a brief and unbeaten career as a kickboxer. In short, she brought a rare set of skills into the ring.
Ronda Rousey Outboxed and Outclassed
Those skills were on display from the beginning of the fight with Rousey. Holm circled to her left, staying away from the champion's powerful right hand, while accenting her own power (Holm is a southpaw).
She used a stiff jab to keep Ronda Rousey at bay, while doing damage with a straight left. Calling upon her kickboxing tenure, she used oblique kicks to do damage to Rousey's forward leg. The kicks not only kept her off-balance, but also kept Rousey from "shooting"--racing in to take her opponent to the mat.
Rousey Could Not Transition to the Mat
That was the key to the fight: Rousey could not transition the battle to her specialty. Without the ability to get her opponent to the mat, Ronda Rousey was overmatched standing up against a world-class boxer.
Experts after the fight pointed out that someone with a wrestling background tends to be a better shooter, even if their arms locks and other holds might not be the equal of a judo master. A judo expert, though, does not learn how to shoot. In judo, both opponents are already in close quarters, where the focus is on tactical moves.
Rousey's One Chance to Win
Ronda Rousey succeeded in taking Holly Holm to the octagon mat one time, about midway through the 1st round, but she was unable to press her advantage. By that time, it appeared as if Holm's blows to the head had had an effect. Rousey was not her usual aggressive self once the fight went to the ground. She either sluggish from the pounding she had taken, gassed from the attempts to fight in a way in which she was not comfortable, or simply uncharacteristically hesitant.
Whatever the case, Holly Holm was able to escape an arm bar and scramble back to her feet. Later in the round, she was even able to take Rousey to the mat herself. By that time, Rousey appeared to be gassing quickly.
Holm in Control in 2nd Round
In the 2nd round, Holly Holm appeared to be fully in control. To her credit, the champion continued to press forward, but she was taking a lot of solid shots in trying to close the gap. A minute into the 2nd round, Rousey appeared to be so fatigued that she fell to the mat on a lunge at her opponent. She rose to her feet, but the end came soon after.
In the final sequence, Holly Holm hit Rousey with a straight left. Ronda Rousey fell to the canvas, but quickly moved to get back to her feet. The way she had fallen, though, left Rousey with her back to the challenger. Holly Holm executed a perfect left high kick. The kick landed just behind Rousey's right ear, and she appeared to be KOed before she hit the ground. Holm lunged at her fallen opponent and delivered two more blows--one to the face and one to the shoulder--before the referee could step in to the end the match.
Vegas Dave Pockets $240,000
Holly Holm is the new UFC Bantamweight Champion. Her defeat of Ronda Rousey is seen as the biggest upset in UFC history, and that is certainly the case with the betting public. No doubt, in the coming days, fight fans and sports gamblers will hear more tales like the one of Dave Oancea, who pocketed big cash for predicting UFC 193's main event correctly.
According to USA Today, Holly Holm's training team pooled its resources and wagered on their fighter. With 10-to-1 odds, the group won "six figures".
Comments