Former Pro Wrestler Taz Suggests Ronda Rousey’s Fight With Holly Holm Was Fixed

Are you buying his argument?

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Even though people have had a few days now to try and digest Ronda Rousey’s stunning loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193, they're still having trouble coming to terms with the fact that it happened. How could Rousey, the baddest woman on the planet, lose to a woman that most people hadn’t heard of until August when UFC announced that she was going to fight Rousey? Better yet, how did Rousey get so thoroughly dominated?

Former pro wrestler Taz thinks he knows the answer. During his latest podcast, The Taz Show: Bodyslams and Beyond, the former ECW, WWE, and TNA star suggests that the fight was fixed. In his mind, UFC knew that Rousey was planning on taking some time off after UFC 193, so rather than have her championship belt sit idle during her time away from the Octagon, he believes they convinced her to lose to Holm and give it up.

“Why are people not seeing this?” he asked on his podcast. “This has been done in the wrestling industry for years. A guy or girl is going to take a break or go away or has an injury that they have to tend to, whatever the reasons are, and they’re a champion—you take the championship off them. You do not want your champion sitting home or making a movie, Roadhouse 2 or whatever Rousey’s going to do, or just needs a personal break, which she’s earned. This girl’s earned it. But you don’t want that person sitting home for five, six, seven months with that championship. It’s bad for business. Take the belt off her.”

Hmmm…

Taz then goes on to break down what he saw during the fight that led him to believe it might have been fixed beforehand.

“If you look at the actual KO—now, she did get nailed, Rousey, with several shots before the finish of the fight,” he said. “Nothing that was like, ‘Oh my God,’ but she got popped a few times. But if you look at the actual knockout, as Rousey, she went for kind of a lazy punch or something—not lazy but she kind of missed—and as she spun to turn around, her back was kind of turned to Holm. And as she slowly turned, a high round kick, I believe it was the left foot or left leg of Holm, catches Rousey, drops Rousey, and then Holm grounds and pounds for three shots—boom, boom, boom. Ref gets in the middle, fight’s over, new champion Holly Holm. I’m telling you right now, that whole series, was the work. And I’m not sure who was in on it and who wasn’t but I know this much: The ref probably wasn’t in on it. Maybe he was, I don’t know. Rousey was in on it—and again, this is all my opinion. Holm might not have been in on it.”

Hmmmmmm…

This all sounds very far-fetched. But if you want to hear Taz explain himself further, check out the clip above. Do you think there’s any way the fight was fixed?

Send all complaints, compliments, and tips to sportstips@complex.com.

[via Cageside Seats]

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