Some of us (WhatCulture included) predicted that Holm would take Rousey past the first round. Few expected her to win, but what was known was that Holm would use her reach and her striking to keep Rousey on the outside, avoiding being taken down and arm-barred out in the process. What no one expected was for Rousey to charge in like a bull against a multiple-time, multiple-weight class boxing champ. And that's with a history of doing just that. It was expected that Rousey would be cautious with Holm. Instead, she ran in, guns blazing, and tried to stand and trade. It looked like she wanted to beat Holm at her own game. Bad idea. Had she been more cautious, she might have won the fight. Holm has gone to the fifth round just once, in her final Legacy FC fight, but not against someone as high calibre as Rousey. And there's the old saying that many judges seem to stick to: you need to decisively beat the champ to win the title. Close decisions tend to go the established champ's way. Not to say she should have coasted, but playing it safe and waiting for an opportunity would have been the better approach for Rousey, and that's what she will need to do in the rematch. No matter how much her boxing improves, it won't improve enough by the time their second fight roles around.