Ronda Rousey will return for her third title defense of 2015 when she battles No. 1 contender Holly Holm at UFC 193 in Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium on Nov. 14 (Nov. 15 AEDT).

Rousey, the UFC women’s bantamweight champion, will try to use her boxing skills to fend off an unlikely opponent in Holm. Rousey’s bread and butter in the UFC has always been her judo and submission skills, but according to her coach Edmond Tarverdyan, the undefeated female champ could also out-box Holm come fight night.

“We’re ready for everything, but if the question is, does Ronda need to prove that she’s a boxer? I hope (Holm) does box with us because Ronda can box,” Tarverdyan said, reports the UFC’s official website. “Ronda has knockout punching power in both hands.”

Rousey, who has 12 wins and zero losses, has quickly won nine of all of her matches via submission with the use of her signature arm bar move. But in her record breaking victory against Bethe Correia at UFC 190, “Rowdy” showed a glimpse of her punching prowess when she knocked out the Brazilian fighter in their match that only lasted for 34 seconds.

However, Rousey admitted Holm would be her biggest challenge ever, with the former boxer staying disciplined and sticking with the game plan outline by her coaching staff comprised of Greg Jackson, Mike Winkeljohn, and pound-for-pound king Jon Jones.

Holm, also undefeated in her MMA career with 9 wins and zero losses, believes she would be the first fighter to defeat Rousey. Holm said he does not mind being the underdog for UFC 193’s main event, with odds having Rousey as the massive favourite.

“I don’t mind you saying I’m a huge underdog, because I am a huge underdog,” Holm said, reports Yahoo Sports. “But the odds have nothing to do with how I’ll perform. I wouldn’t have taken the fight if I didn’t think I was ready or didn’t believe I could win.”

Latest odds

Ronda Rousey -2000 (favourite)

Holly Holm +1000 (underdog)

Odds Shark has Rousey the major favourite, with most betting lines have the female champ at -2000. Holm, meanwhile, is not surprising to be the underdog of the fight event at +1000.

Fight prediction

Rousey would not be the UFC’s biggest draw for no reason. Her last three fights only lasted for a total of 64 seconds. Holm has won her last two fights via decision, and with her background in boxing part of her tactics, an opponent with a more fluid footwork is expected for Rousey.

However, Rousey, being the champ that she is, would surely end the fight easily. Her force in the women’s division of UFC has been unstoppable and not even the likes of Holm could halt her.

Winner: Ronda Rousey – Round 1, Submission

TV guide and match time

UFC 193 Ronda Rousey vs Holly Holm will start at 2:00 p.m. AEDT (Sunday, Nov. 15). The main event match is available on Foxtel and Optus Yes via Main Event for $49.95.

Replays will be at 6 pm, 10 pm, 2 am, and every four hours from 6 am on Nov. 16.

The undercard begins at 10:15 am AEDT on UFC.com FightPass and continues on Fox Sports 1 at 12:15 pm AEDT.

Live streaming info

Watch UFC 193 Ronda Rousey vs Holly Holm on the official website of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

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