--- title: Ronda Rousey's Defeat Makes Her a New Kind of Hero description: She’s now a truly human champion with whom we can all identify canonical: https://time.com/4118072/ronda-rousey-defeat/ author: Dan Wuori article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-11-18T22:15:05.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:57:07.488Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Ronda Rousey's Defeat Makes Her a New Kind of Hero og:description: What's better than undefeatable? Human. og:url: https://time.com/4118072/ronda-rousey-defeat/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt63b052e41b8771ed/698871a3428a9e6514cd029d/ronda.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Ronda Rousey prepares to enter the Octagon before facing Holly Holm in their UFC women's bantamweight championship bout during the UFC 193 event at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, on Nov. 15, 2015 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Ronda Rousey's Defeat Makes Her a New Kind of Hero twitter:description: What's better than undefeatable? Human. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt63b052e41b8771ed/698871a3428a9e6514cd029d/ronda.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 01:32 video:published: 2015-11-15 section: sports topics: mixed martial arts, UFC 193, women's bantamweight title, knockout upset, fight strategy, weigh-in tension, post-fight medical check genre: sports news, fight recap tones: dramatic, analytical, surprised, critical emotions: surprise (high), excitement (medium), disappointment (medium) sentiment: neutral audience: MMA fans, UFC viewers, sports news readers, combat sports enthusiasts people: Holly Holm, Ronda Rousey, Dana White organizations: UFC products: UFC 193 content_suitability: violence [00:10-00:36]; health controversy [01:26-01:32] transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # Ronda Rousey's Defeat Makes Her a New Kind of Hero > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Inside TIME: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Inside TIME is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories. Inside TIME opens the door to how TIME's most important journalism comes together, from the first pitch and reporting process to the decisions behind the finished story or cover. Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs takes readers inside the newsroom, revealing the journalists, ideas and editorial choices behind the stories shaping the global conversation. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=79620c8c-18cc-44d2-81bd-0252e7ca464f&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Sam Jacobs, Editor-in-Chief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership Globally minded knowledge seekers. Readers who turn to journalism to understand the world, with meaningful concentrations among educators, students, media professionals, civic institutions and knowledge workers. ### TIME Inside TIME: key statements * Inside TIME is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * Inside TIME is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=79620c8c-18cc-44d2-81bd-0252e7ca464f&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/subscribe?i=79620c8c-18cc-44d2-81bd-0252e7ca464f&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is Inside TIME? Inside TIME is a twice-weekly newsletter written by TIME Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs. It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=79620c8c-18cc-44d2-81bd-0252e7ca464f&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Ronda Rousey KO'd In Shocking Loss To Holly Holm [Watch (HLS stream): Ronda Rousey KO'd In Shocking Loss To Holly Holm](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/A9yohPlb.m3u8) (1:32)  _Published 2015-11-15. Holm is the new women's bantamweight champion after a left kick knocked out Rousey in the second round of UFC 193._ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary Holly Holm defeats Ronda Rousey by knockout in the second round of UFC 193 to become the new women's bantamweight champion. The video describes how Rousey's usual strategy failed early in the fight and how Holm connected with damaging punches and then a left kick. It also covers the pre-fight favoritism toward Rousey, the lack of a handshake at weigh-ins, and Rousey's hospital visit afterward with Dana White's comment on her injuries. ## Key points - Holly Holm defeated Rousey at UFC 193 and became the new women's bantamweight champion. (00:02) - Rousey's nose started bleeding after a series of punches from Holm. (00:15) - Rousey used game plan A, which had worked for her previously, but it was not working halfway through the first round. (00:24) - Holm stunned Rousey with a left hook early in the second round. (00:34) - Holm knocked Rousey out with a left kick to the face, ending the match. (00:36) - Rousey was the heavy favorite because of her ability to overpower opponents, and only one of her previous 12 opponents had made it past the first round. (00:54) - Holm's ground game appeared to be the biggest question mark heading into the match. (01:09) - Rousey refused to touch gloves with Holm before the fight, after they got tangled up at weigh-ins. (01:17) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:24] Holm's early success against Rousey. Holm lands the most damaging early blows, Rousey's nose bleeds, and her game plan begins to fail. - [00:24 to 00:45] Rousey's failed adjustment and knockout. Rousey fails to adapt, Holm stuns her with a left hook, and a left kick ends the fight in the second round. - [00:45 to 01:32] Pre-fight context and aftermath. The video covers the favoritism toward Rousey, the pre-fight tension at weigh-ins, and her hospital visit with no serious injuries reported. ## Key quotes - [00:36] interviewer: "She KO'd Rousey with a left kick to the face and the match was over." - [00:24] interviewer: "She went out there with game plan A, which has been extremely successful for her." - [00:31] interviewer: "She never made an adjustment." - [01:26] interviewer: "UFC president Dana White says she didn't suffer any serious injuries." ## Questions this video answers - Who won UFC 193 and what title did they win? [00:02] - Why was Rousey considered the heavy favorite going into the fight? [00:54] - What caused Rousey's nose to bleed during the fight? [00:15] - How did the fight end? [00:36] - Was Rousey seriously injured after the match? [01:26] ## Content suitability - violence [00:10-00:36]: Describes punches and a knockout kick in a combat sports bout. - health controversy [01:26-01:32]: Mentions Rousey being taken to the hospital after the match. by [Dan Wuori](https://time.com/author/dan-wuori/) ## Dan Wuori Nov 18, 2015 10:15 PM UTC  Ronda Rousey prepares to enter the Octagon before facing Holly Holm in their UFC women's bantamweight championship bout during the UFC 193 event at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, on Nov. 15, 2015 Ronda Rousey prepares to enter the Octagon before facing Holly Holm in their UFC women's bantamweight championship bout during the UFC 193 event at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, on Nov. 15, 2015 Brandon Magnus/—Zuffa LLC via Getty Images by [Dan Wuori](https://time.com/author/dan-wuori/) ## Dan Wuori Nov 18, 2015 10:15 PM UTC Ronda Rousey has never been more important than she is right now, after [losing](http://time.com/4113612/holly-holm-ronda-rousey-lose-knockout/) her first UFC fight in Melbourne, Australia, last weekend. I’m not the world’s most dedicated or knowledgeable fan of mixed martial arts, but I’ve been following her story these past couple years. She’s been kind of hard to miss, what with the [movies](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3313925/) and [books](http://www.amazon.com/My-Fight-Your-Ronda-Rousey/dp/1941393268) and [hamburger commercials](http://www.eater.com/2015/8/3/9090697/carls-jr-swaps-slutburgers-for-bad-ass-fighter-ronda-rousey), oh, and the fights. Good golly, the fights. Watching her in the octagon has, for me, always been window onto another world—one in which a singular champion possesses such skill and focus that no one else could even begin to match her. Indeed, on fight nights Rousey seems to become a different person altogether. Gone is the charming and glamorous young woman we see in late-night television interviews. In her place stands a scowling, apex predator. It’s an alarming transformation. Though her bouts have been brief, they have consistently been master classes in technical skill and brute force. As a result, she’s been unprecedented, one of the most dominating athletes alive, and an inspiration to both men and women. It’s really been fun to watch. But I’m not invincible myself, so while Rousey has always had my admiration, she’s never really had my heart. That changed when she stepped into the octagon with Holly Holm in Melbourne. She came out to the usual strains of Joan Jett’s “Bad Reputation_,”_ and I marveled once more at the intensity with which she approaches her work. But once the fight began and Holm began landing punches, I saw something in her face I’d never seen before: self-doubt. And maybe even fear. I was instantly connected to her, not only as an athlete, but for the first time as a human. By the end of that brutal first round I knew that this would be the end of the fairy tale. The rest was a blur of devastating punches, splattered blood and, eventually, the kick that would end it all. Rousey’s career and influence stands to be forever changed by this stunning defeat. But not in the way you might think. Now she has the chance to be a whole new kind of hero. No longer an unstoppable, alien force in a class of her own, Rousey can become something far more important: a truly human champion with whom we all can identify. One with vulnerabilities like ours, who will have to work to overcome a public setback on her way back to dominance. That’s a champion I could support in ways I never could the woman who entered the ring in Melbourne. I’ll draw inspiration in spades from a champion who can show me how to overcome adversity with grace, grit and determination. Her most important victory is still to come. ## Transcript [00:00] In one of the biggest upsets in recent MMA memory, [00:02] Holly Holm defeated Rhonda Roussy in UFC 193 to [00:06] become the new women's bantam weight champion. [00:10] Roussy came our swinging early but Holm appeared to [00:12] connect with the most damaging blows Rousey's nose [00:15] started bleeding after a series of punches from Holm [00:18] and things never seemed to improve for Rousey after [00:21] that. She went out there with game plan A, which has [00:24] been extremely successful for her. She's ran through [00:26] everybody. All of sudden then, halfway through that [00:29] first round Game Plan A wasn't working. She had an [00:31] opponent that had an answer for it. She never made [00:34] an adjustment. Holmes stunned Rousey with a left [00:36] hook early in the second round. She KO'd Rousey with [00:39] a left kick to the face and the match was over. I can [00:42] not put it into words, but all I know is inside I'm [00:45] thinking, okay, there's still a lot to come. You know, [00:49] this was one good fight. And there's So much more to [00:52] prove. Both fighters were undefeated heading to the [00:54] match up but Rousey was the heavy favorite due to her [00:57] ability to completely overpower opponents. Just one of [01:00] Rousey's previous 12 opponents had made it passed [01:03] the first round. Holm is also clearly a very talented [01:06] fighter but has never displayed the level of domination [01:09] Rousey has. Holm is a former boxer and her ground [01:12] game seem to be the biggest question mark. Heading [01:15] into the match. The matchup didn't earn Rousey any [01:17] sportsmanship points either. After getting tangled up [01:20] with Holm at weigh ins, Rousey refused to touch gloves [01:24] prior to the fight. Rousey was taken to the hospital [01:26] directly after the match but UFC president Dana White [01:29] says she didn't suffer any serious injuries. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4118072/ronda-rousey-defeat/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4118072/ronda-rousey-defeat/"},"headline":"Ronda Rousey's Defeat Makes Her a New Kind of Hero","datePublished":"2015-11-18T22:15:05.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:57:07.488Z","description":"She’s now a truly human champion with whom we can all identify","url":"https://time.com/4118072/ronda-rousey-defeat/","keywords":["Sports topic"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt63b052e41b8771ed/698871a3428a9e6514cd029d/ronda.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Dan Wuori","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/dan-wuori/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt63b052e41b8771ed/698871a3428a9e6514cd029d/ronda.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Ronda Rousey prepares to enter the Octagon before facing Holly Holm in their UFC women's bantamweight championship bout during the UFC 193 event at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, on Nov. 15, 2015","caption":"Ronda Rousey prepares to enter the Octagon before facing Holly Holm in their UFC women's bantamweight championship bout during the UFC 193 event at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, on Nov. 15, 2015","creditText":"Brandon Magnus/—Zuffa LLC via Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4118072/ronda-rousey-defeat/","name":"Ronda Rousey's Defeat Makes Her a New Kind of Hero"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Ronda Rousey KO'd In Shocking Loss To Holly Holm","description":"Holm is the new women's bantamweight champion after a left kick knocked out Rousey in the second round of UFC 193.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/A9yohPlb/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-11-15T18:13:09.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/A9yohPlb.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4118072/ronda-rousey-defeat/","duration":"PT1M32S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4118072/ronda-rousey-defeat/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```