Mike Winklejohn, who is the longtime coach of Holm, says that Holm is the exact opposite of former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey after suffering a knockout loss.
“Holly’s going to be back. She’s definitely one of the fighters in the gym. She works harder than anybody else. She has the desire and the passion, which is higher than anybody in the gym,” Winkeljohn said to MMA Fighting. “She’s exactly the opposite of what Ronda Rousey did after Holly knocked her out. Ronda, her whole world was over and all these bad things, which is not what young ladies or anybody needs to hear in this world. S—t happens. When bad things happen, what makes you great is your ability to deal with it and go forward. That’s what Holly has decided to do. That’s what she’s done her whole life and she will go forward.”
Holm and Rousey collided at UFC 193, with Holm capturing the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship on that night after knocking out Rousey with a head kick in the second round.
Winklejohn also says that Holm is not making any excuses for the defeat suffered against the two division UFC champion.
“I figured Amanda would game plan counter punching Holly because Holly has a tendency as of late to really lunge and people have been catching her when she lunges, that kind of thing. So they were both waiting for each other,” Winkeljohn said. “I know it didn’t seem like a lot of action but there were a lot of little things going on there, jockeying for position, getting each other’s timing. Holly told me, we watched tape yesterday, she said she felt good. She was getting her timing and working but then she hesitated on a kick. She had done it earlier, which was a mistake and she said she wishes she hadn’t have done that. She told herself that starting to throw a kick and deciding to stop, that was stupid, don’t do it again, don’t get caught. And then she got caught. No excuses. Amanda kicks hard. She hits hard. She’s a scary person and that’s incredible.”
The former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion has suffered five losses as a professional MMA fighter, but UFC 239 was the first time she was defeated by way of KO/TKO.
