UFC: Ronda Rousey v Holly Holm and the kick that shocked the World

It’s been four years this weekend since the MMA world was rocked. It’s star athlete and the reason why women have been apart of the UFC in the first place, Ronda “Rowdy”Rousey was brutally dethroned by the Preachers Daughter Holly Holm.

It was a world record UFC crowd at the time, only recently beaten by the latest Rob Whitaker fight. Some 55,000 spectators packed out the then Edihad stadium now Marvel stadium.
In a bid the change an AFL oval into a UFC masterpiece, they turned to the biggest star of the time in Rousey to headline the main event.
And bring the crowd she did, and the noise. A bucketload of noise in fact. There is something just both eerie and powerful of a Ronda Rousey walkout, she emits a insane degree of confidence and intensity on the walk.
After watching most of her fights on TV I knew it was well worth a picture and with some lucky timing and a good angle I was hoping for something like this. Sometimes you have an idea in your head before an event and it was my mission to replicate it on game day. I think this shot sums up her intensity and it’s pretty satisfying when a plan comes together on the day!

The excitement was crazy high as it all kicked off, would the undefeated champion continue her impressive run or would the challenger Holm use her superior striking to take down the UFC’s biggest star.

Shooting a cage fight is just about the hardest thing I’ve ever had to shoot. The nature of the cage really limits your angles and depending on where the fight goes you either have the worlds best angle or you can’t see a thing and turn into a spectacular(with the worlds best seat).

The fight didn’t exactly go to plan as Rousey struggled to take Holm down in the opening round, and was quite easily picked apart by the sharper and fast moving challenger.
I had some good pictures of the fight so far but nothing spectacular. But what was to come next was a moment the will stand the test of time.

At the start of round 2 it was all pretty much the same as the first. Rousey unable to do any damage on the feet and Holly Holm simply too good in the striking department. With a left high kick to the Champions head it was the shot heard round the world. Bang! Rousey was down and as Mike Goldberg says, “it is all over”!!!

A new champion emerges and lucky for me I had a pretty good angle of it all and was able to get a series of pictures including the shot that ended Rousey reign.
The feeling of getting the “shot” is hard to describe. A combination of relief as you know you didn’t stuff up and miss it and of victory as you know you got it!
It’s definitely a amazing feeling when you do nail it, but it’s equally depressing when you have missed it.
The beautiful mix of highs and lows of this amazing craft, is what I love and endeavor to try my best every day.
The fight is over and history will show that Rousey lost and Holly Holm won. But they stats won’t show the effect that Rousey had on millions of people around the world and the inspiration to girls all over. A icon who crossed over to the mainstream, no easy feat and a once in a lifetime athlete.
It’s a privilege to do what we do and to capture these images is a dream and a responsibility.
An old photographer friend of mine used to say, “have fun, enjoy yourself! Just don’t f…. it up!
Wise words.

Til next time

Chris