UFC 193: Rousey vs. Holm | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Ariel Helwhiney
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
Introduction
UFC 193: Rousey vs. Holm. November 14, 2015. Etihad Stadium, Melbourne, Australia. Holly Holm stopped Ronda Rousey with a head kick and hammer fists 59 seconds into round two to win the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship. The biggest upset in women’s MMA history. Rousey’s unbeaten streak ended at 12-0; her three-year WBW title reign was over. She spent the night in hospital.
The event drew 56,214 to Etihad Stadium — the most attended UFC event in the promotion’s history at that point; $6.8 million gate; 1.1 million PPV buys. The first UFC event in Melbourne. Holm became the first person to hold championships in both professional boxing (18 world titles across three weight classes) and MMA.
Joanna Jędrzejczyk made her first WSW title defence against Valérie Létourneau in the co-main event, winning by UD. Robert Whittaker defeated Uriah Hall by UD, beginning the MW run that would bring him a title. Mark Hunt stopped Antonio Bigfoot Silva with a TKO in round one of their rematch.
Contents
Quick Stats
Date: November 14, 2015 (November 15 local Melbourne time)
Venue: Etihad Stadium, Melbourne, Australia (FIRST UFC IN MELBOURNE; stadium venue)
Attendance: 56,214 — most attended UFC event in history at the time (until UFC 243 in 2019); Gate: $6,800,000; PPV: 1,100,000
Main Event: Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Holly Holm — UFC WBW Championship (originally at UFC 195; shuffled due to Lawler thumb injury)
Result: Holm def. Rousey — KO (Head Kick + Hammer Fists) R2, 0:59 — BIGGEST UPSET IN WOMEN’S MMA HISTORY; Rousey’s first career loss; 3-year reign ended; Rousey hospitalised
Co-Main: Joanna Jędrzejczyk def. Valérie Létourneau — UD — WSW Championship; first Jedrzejczyk title defence
Bonuses: FOTN + POTN: Holly Holm ($100k total); POTN: Kyle Noke ($50k)
The Build-Up
Rousey had called out Holm after her UFC 190 win over Bethe Correia in August 2015, requesting her as next opponent. Holm’s UFC debut at UFC 184 had been unremarkable in execution but impressive in profile: a former 18-time world boxing champion making her Octagon debut at 33. Analysts noted Holm’s movement, length, and southpaw left hand as theoretically well-suited to neutralising Rousey’s bull-rush clinch game.
The event was originally scheduled to headline with a Lawler-Condit WW title fight, with Rousey-Holm as the co-main at a separate event (UFC 195). When Lawler’s thumb injury delayed that fight, the UFC moved Rousey-Holm to headline UFC 193 in Melbourne, giving the card a main event capable of filling a 57,000-seat stadium.
Main Event
Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Holly Holm — UFC WBW Championship
From her southpaw stance, Holm tagged Rousey repeatedly with the left hand while controlling the distance with movement. Rousey attempted clinches and an armbar attempt, but Holm defended and circled away each time. By the end of round one, Rousey was bloodied and visibly laboured — commentators called it the first round of her MMA career she had ever lost.
Round two: Holm continued the same pattern. Rousey stumbled forward after a straight left to the chin. As she rose and turned back toward Holm, Holm threw a left high kick that connected to the side of Rousey’s neck. Rousey was knocked out and fell forward. Holm jumped on top and landed hammer fists before referee Herb Dean stopped the bout at 0:59 of round two.
Holly Holm was the new UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion. Rousey’s unbeaten MMA record — 12-0 — was over. She spent the night in hospital and did not speak publicly for months. She later revealed she had contemplated suicide after the loss.
Co-Main Event
Joanna Jędrzejczyk vs. Valérie Létourneau — UFC WSW Championship
Létourneau managed to take Jędrzejczyk down in round one but couldn’t hold her or do damage. Jędrzejczyk dominated with striking across five rounds. Létourneau became emotional post-fight with Joe Rogan; her performance had been valiant but the champion’s level was simply higher. Jędrzejczyk won by UD on all three cards, continuing her WSW dynasty.
Full Results
Preliminary Card
Ben Nguyen def. Ryan Benoit — TKO — R1 — FW [125 lbs]; Nguyen local Australian; early debut
Daniel Kelly def. Steve Montgomery — Decision — R3 — MW; local Australian
Damien Brown def. John Makdessi — Decision — R3 — LW; local Australian
Kyle Noke def. Peter Sobotta — TKO (Body Kick) — R1, 2:01 — WW; POTN ($50k); snap kick to body; Australian local hero
Gian Villante def. Anthony Perosh — KO — R1 — LHW
Stefan Struve def. Jared Rosholt — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 — HW
Main Card
Robert Whittaker def. Urijah Hall — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 — MW; Whittaker beginning MW title run
Mark Hunt def. Antonio Bigfoot Silva — TKO — R1, 3:41 — HW; rematch (first fight: famous no-contest draw in 2013); Hunt right behind ear
Joanna Jędrzejczyk def. Valérie Létourneau — Decision (Unanimous) — R5, 5:00 — WSW Championship; Jędrzejczyk first title defence; Co-Main
Holly Holm def. Ronda Rousey — KO (Head Kick + Hammer Fists) — R2, 0:59 — WBW Championship; BIGGEST UPSET WOMEN’S MMA; Rousey first career loss; 3-year reign ended; FOTN + POTN ($100k to Holm)
Bonuses & Awards
Fight of the Night + Performance of the Night: Holly Holm — $100,000 total (both bonuses awarded).
Performance of the Night: Kyle Noke — $50,000.
Records & Milestones
Holly Holm — first person to hold championships in both professional boxing and MMA. Sherdog 2015 Upset of the Year, Knockout of the Year, and Newcomer of the Year. 56,214 attendance at Etihad Stadium was the largest UFC crowd in history at the time.
Ronda Rousey — first career loss at 12-0; ended 3-year WBW title reign. Round one at UFC 193 was described as the first round Rousey had ever lost in her MMA career.
Robert Whittaker — his UD win over Urijah Hall at UFC 193 was the beginning of a run that took him to the UFC MW Championship at UFC 213 in July 2017.
Legacy & Impact
The Holm-Rousey fight is one of the few in MMA that genuinely shocked the world. Not in the final result — people had said Holm’s boxing could neutralise Rousey — but in the manner and totality of Holm’s dominance. Rousey never landed a takedown. She never got into the clinch meaningfully. She spent round one being picked apart and round two being knocked unconscious. The idea that there was a structural ceiling to her game was confirmed in 59 seconds of round two.
The event also delivered one of the sport’s most important career launches: Robert Whittaker’s win over Urijah Hall in front of 56,000 in his home country was the moment that signalled a future champion was in the making.
FAQ
How did Holly Holm defeat Ronda Rousey at UFC 193?
Holm controlled the first round entirely with movement, her southpaw left hand, and distance management. In round two, she caught Rousey stumbling forward with a left high kick to the side of the neck that knocked her out. The official time was 0:59 of round two.
Was UFC 193 the largest attended UFC event at the time?
Yes. The 56,214 in attendance at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne was the most attended UFC event in the promotion’s history at the time. It remained the record until UFC 243, also in Melbourne, in October 2019.
Did Rousey ever fight again after UFC 193?
Yes. Rousey returned at UFC 207 on December 30, 2016. She was stopped by Amanda Nunes in 48 seconds via TKO in round one. She did not fight in MMA again after that.
What records did Holly Holm’s win establish?
Holm became the first person to hold world championships in both professional boxing and MMA. She also received both Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night bonuses ($100k total) for the win, which was named 2015 Upset of the Year and Knockout of the Year by Sherdog.
What did Rousey say about her mental state after losing at UFC 193?
In an interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in February 2016, Rousey revealed that in the immediate aftermath of the loss she had contemplated suicide. She said the only thing that pulled her through was her relationship with her then-boyfriend (now husband) Travis Browne.
References
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