Former UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is shutting down rumors of an Octagon rematch with longtime rival Holly Holm.
Rousy fired back at Holm's recent comments about running back the pair's iconic 2015 fight.
While fans continue to debate a second bout between the two fighters, Rousey cooled expectations during a recent media appearance. The MMA pioneer made clear that her competitive fighting days are behind her despite making quick business of Netflix's Gina Carano fight last month. Her focus now is on her family and creative projects outside of sports.
Holm, for her part, recently expressed interest in revisiting their history in the ring. The current MMA fighter said she would gladly accept the challenge if her former foe decided to return to UFC competition.
The two altered the course of women's combat sports more than a decade ago, when Holm landed the knockout that snapped Rousey's historic undefeated streak.
"The whole reason why me beating her was such a big deal is because she was so dominant,” Holm said. “You have to have a dominant champion in order to have a big upset. So I have all the respect for her."
Still, the 18-time world champion wasn't shy when she issued her challenge to Rousey.
"I always have said since the minute the last fight was over, I’ll always rematch her," Holm continued. "That’s always been available. But she wanted to come back and have this win and go back and enjoy life. No hate from me. I hope she does well."
However, despite the box-office appeal of a sequel, Rousey says she's at peace with her professional legacy.
"I'm retired, A," Rousey told Up and Adams. "And B, I think that I am a completely different fighter now. I definitely have the ability and the opportunity to be able to f—cking clean her clock and rewrite all of that, but it's no longer important to me anymore."
Even with the door firmly shut, fans remain fascinated by the potential rematch. Ronda Rousey vs Holly Holm shattered pay-per-view records in 2015, and remains one of the sport's most iconic upsets.
