2015 was a year of upsets in mixed martial arts. Seven UFC belts changed hands, and Bellator MMA crowned four new champions.
The Upset of the Year category generated the most one-sided voting out of all the 2015 Reader’s Choice Award nominations. The winner brought in 76-percent of the votes with the runner-up garnering merely 8-percent.
Holly Holm’s second-round knockout of former champion Ronda Rousey in the UFC 193 main event on Nov. 15 in Melbroune, Australia earned the Upset of the Year by a landslide vote.
Rousey was the first and only UFC women’s bantamweight champion heading into that November night at Etihad Stadium. The Olympic Medalist in judo looked unbeatable in her previous outings. She had defended her title six times and had only one fight go past the first round in her 12 previous bouts.
Holm, a former boxing world champion, had fought twice in the UFC before facing Rousey. Many questioned whether Holm, primarily a striker, had the takedown defense and ground game to survive Rousey’s relentless attack.
Those questions were quickly answered when Holm picked Rousey to pieces with her jab and counter strikes. Rousey tried to pressure Holm and dictate the distance, but the Jackson-Winkeljohn trained fighter made the then-champion pay for her aggression. She landed jabs and left hands, winning the opening round. It was the first round Rousey had ever lost in her career. Between rounds, Rousey looked confused on the stool while listening to directions from her corner.
Rousey came out in the second frame equally as aggressive as she did to start the bout. At one point, Holm slipped under a wild right hand making Rousey miss and fall to a knee. The frustration could be clearly seen on the face of “Rowdy.” Rousey continued to pursue Holm and was staggered by a right hand during an exchange. As she tried to stand, Holm unleashed a head kick that sent Rousey’s title reign and body crashing to the canvas 59 seconds into the second round.
The most popular and most dominant fighter on the UFC roster at the time had been dethroned in highlight reel fashion.
