Monday Morning Hangover: What's next for Ronda Rousey after UFC 193 KO loss?

Another weekend of fisticuffs has come and gone, as UFC 193 blew the retractable roof off Etihad Stadium last Saturday night (Nov. 14, 2015) in Melbourne, Australia.

Plenty of fighters were left licking their wounds, including Uriah Hall, who was out-worked by Robert Whittaker in an exciting back-and-forth brawl (recap here).  And Antonio Silva, who got knocked out by hard-hitting Mark Hunt in the very first round (read about it here).

But which fighter is suffering from the worst post-fight hangover, now 48 hours removed from the show?

Ronda Rousey.

Going into her seventh consecutive title fight, it was pretty much the same old story as her previous six in that "Rowdy" was expected to take out her opponent with little to no effort.

It's what she does.

Despite the fact that Holm was undefeated going into the fight, and carried with her an impressive boxing pedigree, many -- myself included -- weren't too sure if Holm was ready for Rousey this early into her MMA career.

Boy, did she prove everyone wrong.

From the get-go, Holm was determined to show the world she wouldn't be intimidated, clocking Ronda cleanly with one straight left after another. Perhaps even more impressive, she stopped Ronda's takedowns and nullified her ever-dangerous judo.

She also slammed the queen of MMA with a beautiful takedown.

In round two, Holm continued with the same attack, connecting with the left, battering Ronda's already busted grill time and again. And after clipping her with that same punch, Holly blasted a disoriented Rousey with a "Cro Cop" - esque high kick that sent the part-time movie star crashing to the floor.

From there it was all she wrote, as Holm pounced like an animal on her prey to capture the 135-pound title (see it again here).

Now, the real challenge for Rousey begins, as she will likely lose some bandwagon fans -- and bandwagon friends -- and she'll find out who will truly be there for her during her darkest hour.

As far as her MMA career, that will be easier to predict.

She recently claimed she wanted to "disappear for a while" after UFC 193, to focus on film projects and hide from the MMA media for a bit. And after releasing this statement, it seems that's just what Ronda intends to do.

Which means no immediate rematch.

And it's a good decision on Rousey's part to go on a hiatus for the simple fact that she's earned it. She already put women's MMA on the map, she's competed consistently over the last two years, all while fulfilling the rest of her never-ending duties outside of the Octagon.

In the meantime, the rest of the women can vie for a chance to take on the new champion.

And while she may have lost the invincible aura surrounding her, she won't lose what she's worked so hard for; which are her movie offers, photo shoots, and big paydays. She's earned that, and one loss won't send it all crashing down.

So, R-E-L-A-X.

For complete UFC 193: "Rousey vs. Holm" results coverage, including play-by-play updates, click here and here. And for a Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm full fight recap click here.