“It was the hardest in that she was up against this legendary status and the pressure was incredible that way – although, being the underdog takes a lot of pressure of you. But there’s different styles out there. Miesha Tate is gonna scramble all day long, where Ronda was gonna try to get quick submissions. There’s a difference how that plays out. So in many ways, Miesha Tate is more dangerous than Ronda Rousey. There’s a lot of girls in the division that have a lot of things. You know, Sara McMann hits so hard. You know, Amanda Nunes is incredible, and Julianna Pena’s good. There’s a lot of girls out there that can really fight, and styles make fights. It’s one of those things where we have to kind of be prepared for the person we’re fighting… No, not for overall fighting, but for different parts of the fight there are women out there that can be tougher than Ronda Rousey. You know, in the scramble I think Miesha Tate is better than Ronda Rousey.”
-Holly Holm’s striking coach Mike Winkeljohn talks to Submission Radio about the challenges still ahead of the Bantamweight Champ, and why expected next opponent Miesha Tate could be tougher for her than Ronda Rousey.
Penick’s Analysis: Stylistically it’s entirely possible Holm could struggle more with Tate’s game than Rousey, because her approach at UFC 193 was all about out-striking a grappler and avoiding the ground. Tate doesn’t have the same type of fight finishing danger that Rousey has on the ground, but she might be a bit more well rounded in that she’s competitive everywhere, and has the striking defense that Rousey hadn’t had tested until she failed against Holm. Still, Rousey’s stylistically a nightmare for Tate, and still might recapture the title when she returns. Regardless, Holm is willing to take on all challengers, and it’ll be a tough test if that fight indeed happens at UFC 197.
[Photo (c) Matt Roberts via USA Today Sports]
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