Ronda Rousey knocked out cold in second round by Holly Holm as UFC's bantamweight champion is dethroned in stunning shock
Ronda Rousey was beaten for the first time in her mixed martial arts career by challenger Holly Holm
Rousey had previously been taken beyond the first round just once in the six defences of her title
But Holm was impressive from the opening bell as she landed repeatedly to the champion's face
And she completed the job in the second round, dropping Rousey before the referee stepped in Not even Ronda Rousey is invincible.
In the biggest shock in the UFC's storied history, the bantamweight champion was knocked out cold by Holly Holm in front of a record crowd of 56,214 in Melbourne.
Rousey struggled to cope with the strikes from the former boxing world champion and when she was dropped in the second round, Holm pounced to land a barrage of blows that forced referee Herb Dean to step in.
That would be the last moment of danger for the underdog as she continued to redden her opponent's face.
Even after a minute's respite, Rousey struggled to adjust to the challenge in front of her.
And with just over a minute remaining in the second round, a kick to the head left her prone on the canvas and Holm was allowed to land a further few blows before her coronation could begin.
'I feel like those are the moments we live for,' she said.
'They are the scariest moments, I couldn't tell you how many times I cried during this training camp.
'It's uncomfortable sometimes but I like to take the chance and give myself the chance.
'A lot of people thought it was early [to fight for the title]. If you don't take the opportunities in front of you, how are you going to get anywhere?'
UFC president Dana White later confirmed Rousey had been taken to hospital.
He added: 'The rematch makes a lot of sense, it's what people want to see. It changes a lot of things.
'Tonight was one of those moments, these are the moments in fighting that make it so crazy and fun.'
In the other title bout, a bloodied Joanna Jedrzejczyk outlasted Valerie Letourneau to successfully defend her strawweight belt in a five-round slugfest.
The Polish champion won a unanimous points decision after her toughest fight in some time.
After containing Jedrzejczyk early on, Letourneau was slowed by a powerful front kick to the face with just over a minute left in the first round.
The six-time Muay Thai world champion Jedrzejczyk built the pressure from the second round with some trademark, lightning-quick combinations to Letourneau's head, while forcing the challenger to keep her distance with some effective kicks.
Earlier, Mark Hunt of New Zealand won his rematch with Brazil's Antonio Silva by technical knockout after the referee stopped the feature heavyweight bout in the first round.
New Zealand-born Australian middleweight Robert Whittaker was rewarded for his gutsy win on points over Uriah Hall with a deafening roar from the partisan crowd.
And Jared Rosholt won a unanimous decision against towering Dutchman Stefan Struve in a scrappy opening heavyweight bout of the main card.
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