Holm coach says Holly would be comfortable in a rematch with Rousey
The former boxing champion dismantled her opponents defence and game plan with a series of heavy and accurate blows to the head until an inevitable knock out blow came in the second round. Mike Winklejohn has been in Holm’s corner since day one.
MMA Latest’s Ciaran O’Flynn caught up with the coach to get his opinion on a Rousey rematch and Jon Jones’ much anticipated return to the Octagon.
CO’F: Mike I want to start back at the weigh-ins, Ronda appeared to be very confrontational whereas Holly was very calm, did anything about the weigh ins surprise you?
MW: You know I think you could see some nerves on Ronda’s side, Ronda likes to intimidate her opponents and I think that’s what she was trying to do she was trying to get the upper hand mentally but Holly won the fight, not just physically but mentally also.
CO’F: How did you prepare Holly mentally coming up against one of the best female athletes of all time?
MW: Holly is extremely experienced, she has been in big fights all her life especially during her boxing career, we just wanted her to stay focused, don’t let her emotions get the better of her and stick to the gameplan. We really wanted to get Ronda out of her comfort zone and she did it physically and mentally.
CO’F: There has been a lot of talk of a rematch already, how would you see a rematch going and who do you think Holly should fight next?
MW: To be honest I don’t see a rematch being much different to the first fight, I think Holly is evolving and getting even better everyday so I think Holly would be very comfortable in a rematch and Holly would be victorious. In regards to who Holly should fight next, that’s Holly’s decision, but I think Miesha Tate deserves a chance, I think that makes most sense.
CO’F: How do you see Ronda coming back from this defeat and how difficult will it be?
MW: It will be extremely difficult, it will be a long road back for Ronda, I think she needs to get a lot of gym time in and really focus on her boxing skills because she’s really missing in that area.
CO’F: Mike you have had many great moments in your career, where would you rank Holly’s win in the list of achievements in your career?
MW: Oh it was the best moment of my coaching career, you know I have been working with Holly for 17 years, she’s very close with my family, I taught her to throw her first punch so to see her win was a big moment for me.
CO’F: Ronda’s coach Edmond Tarverdyan has come under a lot of scrutiny for the advice he gave her between rounds telling her she was doing great when clearly Holly was dominating, what did you make of the advice he gave Ronda?
MW: You know he obviously knows Ronda better than I do so maybe he thought giving her positive comments Ronda would respond well and it would give her confidence, every fighter is different some fighter’s you need to tell them the truth, some you need to give positive feedback for confidence maybe that’s what he thought was needed.
CO’F: Holly and Jon Jones appear to have a fantastic relationship with each other, how important are they in each other’s success?
MW: To be honest I think they would still be exactly where they are now, there are two very driven people, but yes they work very well together and I think their positivity and hard work rubs off each other. They are great to work with Jon is like a playing a video game if I tell him to do something he will do exactly that and the same with Holly.
CO’F: There has been a lot of talk of Jon Jones returning in April, Jon seems very focused and is in great shape, do you think he will return better than ever?
MW: Oh for sure, Jon has had his problems, but it’s all behind him now. He has been helping out a lot in the gym which has been great, and when he’s back he will be better than ever. Jon and Holly will dominate and will be remembered as legends in the sport. April is being talked about for his comeback so we are preparing for April, but it’s not confirmed yet.
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