Sherdog.com’s 2015 Fighter of the Year

4. Holly Holm

For 10 out of the 12 months in 2015, people did not talk about “if” Ronda Rousey would win. It was a matter of how much of the fight could fit on a Vine video. With two title defenses against two undefeated contenders in a combined 48 seconds, Rousey was on the fast track to the “Fighter of the Year” shortlist. All she had to do was the perfunctory business of stepping into the cage with another undefeated contender. From there, the rest would fall into place as it always had for the sport’s biggest star.

The only speed bump in front of Rousey was Holm. The former boxing champion turned MMA prospect had long been pegged as an eventual threat to Rousey’s throne. After compiling a 7-0 record against lesser competition, Holm made the jump to the UFC in February. Ironically, her debut was on a card headlined by Rousey. That night, Rousey set the record for the fastest win in a title fight in UFC history against a top-ranked opponent. Holm, however, eked out a split decision win against a tough, yet physically and technically overmatched Raquel Pennington. Whatever hype there was about Holm contending for the title was quickly diminished.

Had Holm head kick KO’d Pennington like she had been in the Legacy Fighting Championship organization, she would have likely been immediately slated into a title fight. However, the nature of her victory was so underwhelming that she was put into a title eliminator against the out-of-the-blue contender Marion Reneau. This time out, Holm was more dominant, but her performance was still lackluster. Fans booed; they were promised a championship boxer with kickboxing experience and knockout power. What they got was a distance striker who controlled the cage and stayed safely on the outside until the final bell rang. With two UFC wins in the books halfway through the year, Holm was a footnote in the prevailing discussion of a potential Rousey-Cristiane Justino fight.

Ten days after Holm’s win over Reneau, Miesha Tate put together her fourth UFC win in a row in an impressive performance against Jessica Eye. Fans threw up their hands in defeat as UFC President Dana White promised Tate a shot at the title in the post-fight press conference; it was the most sensible matchup, but no one really wanted to see her tapping to a third Rousey armbar. The UFC matchmakers must have heard the collective groans of fight fans everywhere. In a surprise announcement, Holm was named as the next Rousey victim/opponent. She was a staggering underdog, and for good reason: Holm did not look anywhere near ready for Rousey in her first two Octagon appearances.

Of course, if you are reading this now, you already know what happened. Holm decimated Rousey and put her away with a resounding head kick shortly into the second round. Indeed, Holm was not on Rousey’s level; she was leagues above it. In her victory, “The Preacher’s Daughter” became the first boxing champion to crossover and win gold in mixed martial arts, and she did so by authoring one of the greatest, most shocking upsets the sport has ever witnessed.

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