UFC News: Holly Holm prefers Ronda Rousey rematch in July

UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm said she prefers to give Ronda Rousey a rematch in July if she appears victorious in her first title defense at UFC 197 in March against Miesha Tate.

Holm-Rousey II is tentatively set at UFC 200, with Rowdy still finishing her filming commitments for a remake of the 1980s action movie “Road House” and Holm bound for a title defense in March. But according to Holm herself, she is fine having a rematch as early as July.

“I’m just ready for what opportunities come,” Holm told the New York Post. “I was OK with July as long as it was going to be a guarantee. I didn’t want them to say July and then it turned into October and the next thing you know it’s going to be a year since I’ve fought.”

While it would sound good for UFC fans to witness Rowdy return to the Octagon as early as this summer, Rousey’s trainer Edmond Tarverdyan said a fight in July would be too soon for his fighter, considering her need to recover after fighting thrice in nine months last year. Tarverdyan also added he talked to UFC president Dana White about Rousey needing four months to prepare and train after finishing filming her movie.

"I don't see it in July at this point," Tarverdyan told ESPN. "Ronda did three fights last year. I think she deserves time off. That's what [UFC president] Dana [White] said, too. So we've spoke about that. You know Dana judges things very fairly, and he completely understood."

Rousey suffered the first loss in her UFC career in knockout fashion after being kicked out cold by Holm 59 seconds into the second round of their bout at UFC 193 in Melbourne. After the heartbreaking defeat, White immediately set up a rematch between the two fighters possibly slated at UFC 200, when former WWE superstar CM Punk also plans to stage his MMA debut.