Ronda Rousey has claimed she “needs” Holly Holm to retain her bantamweight title against Miesha Tate at UFC 196.
Rousey, who defeated Tate by submission in both their UFC meetings, does not want anyone else to defeat Holm before she has the chance to avenge her UFC 193 defeat to the ‘Preacher’s Daughter’.
Holm stunned the hitherto undefeated champion in Melbourne, and will take on Tate in Las Vegas before any rematch with ‘Rowdy’.
“I need [Holm] to win. I want to be the one to beat her,” Rousey is quoted as saying by Fox Sports.
“I don’t want anyone else to take the honor of beating her besides myself.”
No date has been set for a rematch between Rousey and Holm, though the reigning champ explained she has no desire to turn down other opportunities in order to wait around for her opponent.