Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) traveled to Melbourne, Australia last night (Sat., November 14, 2015) for a thrilling pay-per-view (PPV) event, as the Etihad Stadium played host to UFC 193: "Rousey vs. Holm," featuring two women's title fights and potentially the biggest upset in the sport's history.
In the main event, Holly Holm shocked the mixed martial arts (MMA) world by knocking out the seemingly indomitable Ronda Rousey via a vicious head kick to become the undisputed UFC Women's Bantamweight champion of the world (highlights here).
In the co-main event, UFC Women's Strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk put in a workmanlike performance, thoroughly out striking a very game Valerie Letourneau en route to a unanimous decision victory.
Check out the highlights here.
With that quick overview of the night's marquee bouts, here are your biggest winners, as well as the runners-up from down under.
Biggest Winner: Holly Holm
In UFC history, there may not be a fighter who has been a bigger winner on fight night than Holly Holm at UFC 193.
"The Preacher's Daughter" seemingly stood no chance against the venerable Ronda Rousey heading into the highly anticipated PPV. "Rowdy" was the consensus pick to retain the Women's Bantamweight title among pundits and fans alike.
Holm was one of the biggest underdogs in UFC history, and she may have pulled off the greatest upset the sport has ever seen in Australia last night.
The former world champion Boxer and Kickboxer showcased her brilliant striking technique from the onset, keeping the aggressive Rousey at bay while landing stiff punches and kicks.
Holm thwarted Rousey's clinch attempts, and even took the champion down at one point momentarily.
Then came the head kick heard around the world.
An exhausted Rousey was cracked by a ferocious left high kick from Holm that completely shut the lights out on UFC's cash cow.
Just like that, Holly Holm was a UFC champion.
Holm's incredible victory will be remembered for years to come, and the new UFC champion can look forward to a stable of hungry competitors looking to steal her newly acquired gold.
Runners-up:
Mark Hunt
The 41-year old legend still has it!
Mark Hunt is clearly in the twilight of his legendary combat sports career, but the "Super Samoan" can still hold his own inside the Octagon and put on highlight-reel performances.
The last time Hunt fought Antonio Silva, the duo battled for five rounds in one of the greatest Heavyweight fights in MMA history.
At UFC 193, a much slimmer Hunt took merely 79 seconds to knock out "Bigfoot" in brutal fashion in their rematch.
While it was certainly impressive, it is painstakingly clear Silva's chin is completely gone.
With that being said, Hunt really shouldn't be in the title conversation with his victory in Australia, but you can probably expect him to fight a top-10 opponent his next time out.
While it may be a long shot to see Hunt fighting for UFC gold before hanging up his gloves for good, you simply can never count out the "Super Samoan."
Robert Whittaker
Some people may have saved this honor for Joanna Jedrzejczyk, but Robert Whittaker's UFC 193 performance was too impressive to go unnoticed.
The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes (TUF) winner was initially set to take on aging veteran Michael Bisping in Melbourne, but an injury to the Englishman allowed the surging Uriah Hall to step in on short notice.
Suddenly, Whittaker was set to fight someone with frightening speed and power, when he was originally set to battle a busy striker with limited power.
Even with a late opponent change and the odds seemingly stacked against him, the Kiwi rose to the occasion with an exemplary performance as he went toe-to-toe with Hall, simply beating him to the punch in every exchange.
Whittaker featured incredible pace, striking power, aggression, and a sturdy chin en route to an impressive unanimous decision victory.
The win was Whittaker's fourth in a row, and should thrust him into the Middleweight top-10 (see the rankings here).
Anyone care to see Whittaker vs Belfort?
Biggest Loser: Ronda Rousey
What a brutal evening in Melbourne it was for the former UFC champion.
Ronda Rousey not only revolutionized Women's MMA, but she revolutionized the sport as a whole.
The first Women's UFC champion, "Rowdy's" spectacular performances and aura of invincibility quickly made her a cultural icon.
It didn't take long before Rousey was on the cover of magazines, appearing in movies and commercials, writing her own book, and making appearances on nearly every talk show.
Ronda Rousey had transcended the sport of MMA, and quickly became one of the most recognizable and loved athletes in sports today.
At UFC 193, everything came to a crashing halt.
In a shockingly poor performance, the former champion looked sluggish and completely outclassed on the feet against Holm. Even when the fight hit the mat momentarily, "Rowdy" was unable to control her opponent as she usually so easily does.
The jarring image of Rousey getting knocked out cold via a head kick will undoubtedly grace highlight reels for years to come.
With the aura of invincibility now gone, will Rousey rebound to become a champion once again, or will UFC 193 mark the end of an historic era?
Runners-up: UFC Brass
Dana White, Lorenzo Fertitta, and Frank Fertitta can't be too happy with the main event result of UFC 193.
Ronda Rousey brought intrigue from fans that otherwise may have never once given MMA a chance. "Rowdy" truly was UFC's superstar, and it only took one massive head kick to end it all.
Maybe I am being a bit somber, but Rousey's reign was one of the best moments in UFC history both business and sporting wise, and it may never be matched again.
Even if Rousey rematches Holm and comes out victorious next year, will the intrigue still be there? Will fans return in such staggering numbers to see if "Rowdy" can rebound?
The answer is probably yes, but the knockout loss will absolutely be a tough pill to swallow for UFC's owners over the next several weeks.
One thing is for sure: They are all rooting very hard for Conor McGregor at UFC 194.
Uriah Hall
Uriah Hall made a risky choice in taking his UFC 193 fight against Robert Whittaker on short notice, and it came back to bite him in the end.
Prior to his unanimous decision loss, "Primetime" was barely a month removed from his most spectacular career victory as he knocked out Gegard Mousasi with a ridiculous spinning-back kick to flying knee combination.
The win propelled Hall to the No. 10 ranking in the Middleweight division, and set him up for a potential crack at another member of the 185-pound elite.
Instead of waiting, Hall admirably jumped right back into the fire to take on a lower-ranked fighter and surging prospect in Whittaker.
While Hall was impressive in Melbourne, he simply did not have the answers to Whittaker's relentless aggression and striking.
It is clear Hall is amongst the very best in the Middleweight division, but he will need to make better choices inside and outside the Octagon if he is prepared to make a run at UFC gold.
For complete results from UFC 193: "Rousey vs. Holm," including play-by-play updates click here.
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