Perhaps it wasn't the biggest upset in mixed martial arts history. Maybe it was. There's one thing we know for certain: Holly Holm's upset of Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 was a moment we won't soon forget.
The reaction to Rousey's loss was swift and fairly one-sided. Fans took to social media to express their glee at the now-former champion losing her belt. Miesha Tate weighed in, live from a strip club in Las Vegas. Cristiane Justino, another frequent target of Rousey's barbs, had her say.
The UFC's golden girl was down, and everyone wanted a chance to kick her.
Bleacher Report lead writers Jonathan Snowden and Jeremy Botter got together to discuss the reaction to Rousey's loss and attempted to answer The Question: Why did the world turn on Ronda Rousey?
Jeremy Botter: Jonathan, it has been a couple of days since Ronda went down in Melbourne, Australia. We've had a little bit of time to digest what happened and to reflect on both the fight and the reaction to it.
I was surprised at the way fans reacted when Rousey lost. I expected Tate and Justino to have their say because of their history with Rousey. She has not exactly been nice to them over the years. And I expected Bethe Correia to say something crazy, and she did not disappoint, because that's what she does.
But the fan reaction took me by surprise, if we're being honest. I feel like this is one of those deals where MMA fans act like music hipsters who discover a band before they are famous, then turn on them once they achieve a bit of success. Rousey broke through walls that MMA has never even come remotely close to, pulling in fans who would never buy a fight otherwise.
The result? Fans threw heaping piles of scorn on her even before she was awake enough to leave the Octagon under her own power. I don't get it. Maybe you can help explain?
Jonathan Snowden: Despite its reputation as human cockfighting, MMA is surprisingly polite. Most fighters treat their opponents with a courtly level of respect. Were this a different time, fighters would likely bow or curtsy prior to each bout. At the end of each 15-minute bout, the two competitors routinely hug and exchange pleasantries.
If it weren't for the spilled blood, it would be almost genteel.
Rousey exploded into that mix like an atom bomb. She's spent more than two years behaving like a cartoon supervillain, flipping opponents the bird, taunting them mercilessly and even refusing a post-fight handshake.
People notice that stuff. They notice things like her meltdown at the weigh-ins before the fight. And they don't like it.
Rousey also spent her entire UFC tenure proclaiming herself unbeatable. We didn't set impossibly high standards for Rousey; she did it for herself, and did so with a sneer.
If fighters want to be Ric Flair, they can't just cut promos on their opponents and brag about how awesome they are. They have to walk that aisle.
If you say you're the best as loud and as often as Rousey did, you have to deliver. When you don't, there will be some good-natured ribbing. And you know what? There should be.
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