Tazz Claims Ronda Rousey's Shock UFC Defeat Was A Work

Former ECW, WWE, and TNA star Taz has addressed Ronda Rousey's surprising, brutal loss at UFC 193 last Saturday in the most shocking of ways: he's suggesting that the entire thing was, to use a pro wrestling term, a "work." Taz, who does have some training in martial arts, offered the following explanation on his podcast:

The first thing that jumped out at me was, Okay, I think the finish of the fight might have been rigged. Let€™s say I am right. UFC would not be reinventing the wheel by fixing a fight. This was going on for 50, 60, 70, 80 years in boxing. This is not a new thing.

Then, after question why more people weren't seeing an issue with the finish, he suggested a possible motive:

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. If you look at the actual KO €“ now, she did get nailed, Rousey, with several shots before the finish of the fight. 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.

The problem here is that it's simply too far-fetched for it to even be possible, and here's why: UFC champions regularly take five or six months between fights. Rousey, having been known for fighting three times a year, is actually one of their more active champions - or was, in any case. The promotion would have no problem at all letting her take some time off, and wouldn't risk damaging the reputation of their biggest star by rigging a finish. However, Taz's comments do come from a legitimate place of concern: how bad Rousey looked in the fight. It wasn't just the finish, but the entire bout. Rousey didn't look like Rousey, or at the very least, not like a champ in comparison to the polished striking and movement of Holm. It's not surprising to see people looking for an explanation, because the loss was such a surprise. That said, Taz's conspiracy theory is a non-starter, though several major media outlets including The Washington Post have picked up the story.