UFC 193
| Company type | Event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts |
| Founded | November 14, 2015 |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
| Products | Mixed martial arts fights |
UFC 193: Rousey vs. Holm took place on November 14, 2015, at Melbourne's Etihad Stadium in Australia. At the time, it set a new UFC attendance benchmark with 56,214 fans in attendance, a record later eclipsed by UFC 243. Although heavily expected to win, reigning champion Ronda Rousey experienced her first professional loss against challenger Holly Holm.
Background
This event marked the UFC's inaugural appearance in Melbourne, making Docklands Stadium the third stadium venue to host a UFC card after UFC 129 in Canada and UFC on Fox: Gustafsson vs. Johnson in Sweden.
Initially, the headline bout was planned as a UFC Welterweight Championship clash between titleholder Robbie Lawler and former interim champion Carlos Condit. However, Lawler withdrew due to a thumb injury, causing the fight to be rescheduled for UFC 195. Consequently, the main event shifted to the Women's Bantamweight Championship featuring Rousey versus Holm, which had originally been slated for UFC 195.
The co-main attraction showcased a UFC Women's Strawweight Championship contest with champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk defending against challenger Valérie Létourneau.
The fight card underwent multiple alterations because of injuries: Brazilian fighters William Macario and Ricardo Abreu pulled out and were replaced by James Moontasri and Steve Montgomery respectively. Brendan O'Reilly also withdrew and newcomer Anton Zafir stepped in as his replacement. Moreover, Michael Bisping exited his matchup against Robert Whittaker owing to an elbow injury, with Uriah Hall taking his place.
Rousey vs. Holm fight
In the Women's Bantamweight championship bout, Ronda Rousey started aggressively but Holly Holm utilized her boxing expertise and southpaw stance to maintain range while consistently landing left-hand strikes. Despite Rousey's attempts at clinching and applying an armbar, none proved conclusive. By round one’s conclusion, Rousey was visibly bloodied and breathing heavily—marking her first lost opening round in MMA competition.
Throughout the second round, Holm continued employing a stick-and-move tactic that thwarted Rousey's advances. After landing a straight left that caused Rousey to stagger, Holm followed with a knockout kick targeting the side of Rousey’s neck. Holm then moved in on the downed champion, leading referee Herb Dean to halt the contest.
Sherdog recognized this fight as its 2015 Upset of the Year.
Jędrzejczyk vs. Létourneau fight
The bout began with both fighters exchanging strikes. Jędrzejczyk attempted various kicks while Létourneau countered with a takedown and absorbed a front kick that briefly disrupted her balance. The first round featured ongoing back-and-forth exchanges.
During round two, both competitors traded punches; Létourneau pressed Jędrzejczyk against the cage but endured multiple elbow strikes. The round closed with Jędrzejczyk increasing her combination output.
In the third round, Jędrzejczyk exploited signs of fatigue in Létourneau by focusing attacks on her lead leg with repeated kicks, resulting in swelling around Létourneau’s right eye and leg.
Round four saw Jędrzejczyk maintain offensive pressure through left jabs and combination strikes despite absorbing body shots from Létourneau.
The final round featured aggressive exchanges along with leg kicks from Jędrzejczyk while Létourneau landed a higher volume of punches overall.
All judges awarded the fight unanimously to Jędrzejczyk with scores of 49–46, 49–46, and 50–45.
Other bouts
In a heavyweight rematch, Mark Hunt overcame Antônio Silva by first-round TKO, delivering a right straight followed by a left hook.
In the welterweight division, Kyle Noke achieved a first-round TKO victory against Peter Sobotta using a combination of a front kick and punches.
Bonus awards
The following competitors were awarded $50,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: Holly Holm vs. Ronda Rousey
- Performance of the Night: Holly Holm and Kyle Noke
Reactions
UFC president Dana White characterized the Holm versus Rousey contest by stating, "This is a fight. This is what happens," further remarking, "All the greats eventually go down one day." He also confirmed that "there will absolutely be a rematch." UFC analyst Joe Rogan described Holm's win as "by far the biggest upset in UFC history."