When Rhonda Rousey strode determinedly to the cage at UFC 193 very few observers could predict the shocking outcome that night against the challenger Holly Holm. Most predicted an early outcome in Rousey’s favor. Venerable longtime beat writer Brett Okamoto of ESPN predicted a patented Rousey by armbar 1:15 of the first round. Instead, we saw one of the greatest upsets of 2015 and perhaps all-time .
Though Rousey began the fight at a furious pace in defense of her Women’s Bantamweight title, Holm repeatedly kept Rousey at bay and staggered, tagging Rousey repeatedly with strikes from a southpaw stance that seemed to confuse Rousey. Try as she might Rousey’s repeated attempts at taking the fight to the ground failed as Holm used her boxing to thwart her at every opportunity, leaving a battered Rousey bleeding at the end of the round. Starting the second round in much the same way, Holm’s kept up a stick and move strategy until finally a straight left to the chin wobbled Rousey and a brutally stiff kick to the neck knocked Rousey out cold. It was a stunning end to Rousey’s winning streak and immediately evaporated Rousey’s aura of invincibility.
With Dustin Poirier’s stunning knockout of Conor McGregor at UFC 257 this weekend, I think it’s fair to make a comparative suggestion. McGregor has perhaps the most dominating swagger of any fighter in UFC history. He’s the kind of fighter that wins fights just by walking into the cage on pure presence alone. He’s the miniature version of The Last Emperor but with a much louder megaphone and far flashier presence.
But it’s fair to question whether that indomitable aura is still intact after Saturday’s bout. Though McGregor clearly had the advantage in the first round, Poirier weathered the early storm and McGregor had little in the tank midway through the second round. It is the first time I have seen McGregor, who is well known for being a bit of a cardio monster, out-conditioned in a fight in a very long time, though questions were raised before the fight considering McGregor’s long lay-off.
So stunning was the defeat that the sight of an unconscious Notroious against teh side of the cage, that the image became instantly meme-worthy. It also just happened to occur on the heels of perhaps that most viral of memes in almost a decade of internet memes on social media.
Damn, that Conor McGregor fight was wild! pic.twitter.com/x8JDQX1atL— Dafuq You Meme? (@DafuqYouMemes) January 24, 2021
My favorite meme of the bunch.
Would this happen were McGregor to lose late in Round 5? Or by submission in Round 3? I doubt it. Poirier was not intimidated by Conor McGregor, and the question moving forward is “Will anyone ever be again?”
If the answer is no, and I have a sneaking suspicion in might be, especially since Nate Diaz has already clamored to have the next shot at McGregor, and we all know The American Ninja is afraid of no man. Could we see a winner-take-all rubber match between the two? Or will Justin Gaethje use him as another path to the lightweight title he believes he serves after Khabib’s retirement?
And no, Khabib is not returning to fight anyone. Mark my words.