UFC women's bantamweight champion Holly Holm wants to keep active, but the promotion has other plans.
Holm KO'd former champ Ronda Rousey Nov. 15 at UFC 193, but UFC president Dana White plans to keep her shelved for a rematch targeted for July 9 at UFC 200 in Las Vegas Nevada.
Holm's manager Lenny Fresquez pitched Holm making her first title defense to Miesha Tate in the meantime, but White sarcastically shot that idea down Tuesday.
UFC commentator Joe Rogan understands White's motivation for keeping Holm on the sidelines, but he doesn't have to like it.
"If Ronda's going to be out for this long amount of time, why rush her?" Rogan said Thursday on his podcast. "You're talking about July? We're in December. Seven months. She just said in an interview that she's not going to be able to eat an apple for six months. Forget about taking impact. How is that going to happen in July and have her be at her optimum?"
Rogan would much prefer seeing Rousey take her time re-tooling her game, allowing Holm to become an even bigger star while building to an eventual rematch.
"I haven't talked to anybody, but this is my personal opinion," said Rogan. "Holly Holm could be a f***ing monster. She could be a monster on the level of any champion in combat sports, any in the UFC. If Holm goes on to dominate the way Ronda dominated and she gets in there and knocks out 'fill in the blank' and head kicks her into oblivion everyone will be like, 'Holy s**t we've got a new one!' Ronda didn't become Ronda immediately. She did it over a series of spectacular victories. If Holm strings a few of those together you've got another gigantic dynamo.
"Then, when Ronda's ready to come back and she's 100 percent healed and healthy and has made some corrections, really worked on fixing whatever holes were exposed in her game, then you have this monumental super fight. If Miesha wins then you've got a crazy f***ing love triangle."
Rogan believes this strategy would only help to build more dynamic stars, rather than cannibalize them for a short-term gain.
"I think the long game is if Holly gets even better, if she gets even more recognition and Ronda fully heals up. You also give Miesha a chance to take that title. You run a risk, but I think even if Tate beats Holly and [Holm and Rousey] have a five-round, non-title fight while Miesha's got the strap, that s**t would still be bananas. Gigantic.
"Everybody makes money. You get more high-level, marquee matchups."
5 MUST-READ STORIES
Scrum. At UFC 194 open workouts, Conor McGregor discusses why he doesn't feel like a UFC employee, if he respects Jose Aldo, and much more.
'Handcuffed.' Conor McGregor says UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo is being "forced into this."
'My mind is blown.' Urijah Faber, Max Holloway, Tony Ferguson and others weigh-in on the fact that Jose Aldo is actually a betting underdog to Conor McGregor.
Thug. Rose Namajunas submits Paige VanZant in a dominating performance to kick off the UFC's weekend slate of fights.
'Working together will take him to the next level.' Firas Zahabi discusses Sage Northcutt's second win at UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. VanZant, what he thought of the stand-up, George St-Pierre's training camp, and more.
MEDIA STEW
UFC 194 open workout highlights.
Jose Aldo's UFC 194 open workout.
Octagon interviews with Rose Namajunas and Sage Northcutt.
McGregor says he'd like to go back and forth between featherweight and 155 pounds.
Chris Weidman doesn't think he'll get the credit he'll deserve for beating Luke Rockhold.
First Take debates the fairness of making Holm sit out and wait for Rousey.
Episode 3 of Joe Lauzon's fight week vlog.
Long watches.
UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. Vanzant post-fight press conference
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UFC 194 Aldo vs McGregor, TUF Finale Edgar vs Mendes & UFN Rose vs Paige Care/Don't Care Preview
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TWEETS
Congrats.
#UFCVegas bonuses FOTN: @MikeMav22 vs. @JimMiller_155 POTN: @rosenamajunas & @MeansTim pic.twitter.com/rndStq5rA1
— #UFCVegas (@ufc) December 11, 2015
@rosenamajunas & @paigevanzantufc putting on a WAR in the Octagon... Amazing skills, heart & endurance being displayed by both! @ufc #itstime
Posted by Bruce Buffer on Thursday, December 10, 2015
Had fun tonight!! pic.twitter.com/1CP2Pa2Pco
— Sage Northcutt (@sagenorthcutt) December 11, 2015
HUMAN ANACONDA!!! 12-0 baby!!! #ufc #lasvegas #135 #FutureChamp! pic.twitter.com/9qnRRTsSpc
— Aljamain Sterling (@FunkMaster_UFC) December 11, 2015
So happy to have won this one esp in the 2nd with a submission! #thankyoujesus #curranwiththeWIN love you all!
— KailinCurran (@KailinCurran) December 11, 2015
Sympathy pains.
I swear I heard a snap! #UFCVegas #UFCFightNight #namajunasVsvanzant pic.twitter.com/0oFJzdcS8G
— #DJ2Bounce (@DJ_2BoUnCe) December 11, 2015
Bruhhhhh my arm hurts! #UFCVegas
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) December 11, 2015
@ALIAQUINTA call ambalancee
— Chris Wade (@CWadeMMA) December 11, 2015
Howwww?????? That was nasty, her arm was the wrong way.
— David Michaud (@bulldawgUFC) December 11, 2015
That armbar Thow !!!!!!!
— U R I A H H A L L (@UriahHallMMA) December 11, 2015
That arm will be frozen tomorrow from all the ice she'll be applying #UFCVegas
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) December 11, 2015
Back to work.
Right back at it for final touches on tomorrow nights card! #EdgarVSMendes pic.twitter.com/ufcRJlPUU9
— Brian Stann (@BrianStann) December 11, 2015
Cuttin'.
The hard part is almost over #ufc194 #teamtiny #headrushbrand @headrushbrand pic.twitter.com/EwqoReYEPw
— Tecia Torres (@TeciaTorres) December 11, 2015
How weird. [Please be careful]
Hanging at the ice rink with the family. #familyfirst #reallife #happylife DC https://t.co/vbmTLz7ZUJ
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) December 11, 2015
My fiancé, who grew up in a hockey family, took me ice skating for the very first time tonight. It was quite an amazing...
Posted by Jon "Bones" Jones on Thursday, December 10, 2015
Get well soon.
Y'all ever seen a splint like this? Annoying as hell. These fights make me wanna take it off and punch shit pic.twitter.com/iUkaecVRqH
— Matt Brown (@IamTheImmortal) December 11, 2015
Road trip.
And we out. Orlando here we come pic.twitter.com/jqx29F87eN
— Cowboy Cerrone (@Cowboycerrone) December 10, 2015
Buds.
@kennyflorian sure thing... Take a few haha
— Sage Northcutt (@sagenorthcutt) December 11, 2015
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announced yesterday (Dec. 10 2015)
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