Harvey Bell, Managing Director – Wealth Management at Morgan Stanley, is widely recognized as a thought leader in the financial industry. With over 43 years of experience, he leads The Bell Team in Short Hills, New Jersey, providing clients with comprehensive wealth-management services. His career began in the early 1980s at Merrill Lynch before he joined Morgan Stanley in 2015, and over the decades, his leadership and expertise have earned him recognition as one of Forbes’ Best-In-State Wealth Advisors (2022–2025). Beyond finance, Harvey is deeply committed to giving back through education, youth mentorship, and financial literacy programs. His ability to combine long-term strategic vision with dedication to community service mirrors the discipline and resilience seen in high-stakes arenas like professional sports, making his perspective especially fitting in reflecting on one of the UFC’s most iconic moments.
Nearly 10 years ago, one of the biggest upsets—and best knockouts—in UFC history took place in front of a record-breaking crowd in Melbourne. Ronda Rousey, the women’s bantamweight champion, was squaring off with Holly Holm, a former professional boxer who entered the fight as a massive underdog.
Why the long odds?
At the time, Rousey looked unbeatable. Then the biggest star in the UFC, as well as the No. 1 women’s fighter, she was undefeated, having run off 12 straight victories. But it wasn’t just her record, but the way she dominated her opponents that made her look so intimidating. Rousey had won each of her 12 bouts by submission or knockout, with only Miesha Tate making it past the first round.
“Rowdy” was such an overwhelming force, in fact, that she was responsible for convincing UFC president Dana White to change his long-held stance on not allowing women to fight in the UFC. After running off six wins in other promotions, she became the first female combatant signed to the biggest MMA promotion. In short, she was a trailblazer who, armed with her signature armbar that had previously helped her to become an Olympic medalist in judo, was similarly blazing through opponents in the Octagon.
Holly Holm was likewise undefeated, but having never headlined a card before, she lacked the prestige and reputation of her more famous opponent. Holm began her career as a boxer and, over the course of six years, won several titles at welterweight and fought as a kickboxer. She made her MMA debut in 2011 and went 7-0 in other promotions before joining the UFC, where she added another two wins before her matchup with Rousey.
The Fight
The clash between Rousey and Holm began as anyone would have expected: Rousey looked to clinch her opponent so that she could apply her signature armbar. If that were to happen, the fight would almost certainly be over.
Perhaps as a concession to Holm’s superior boxing skill, however, Rowdy didn’t simply charge at the “Preacher’s Daughter.” Instead, she threw looping punches in an attempt to get inside her opponent’s defense. Holm responded with straight left hands that repeatedly landed and reddened Rousey’s face in the early going. Like a boxer, she then circled away, forcing “Rowdy” to restart her attack all over again.
While the champion landed a few punches, including one that briefly rocked Holm, Rousey was largely unable to get inside the former boxer. By the time she did, midway through the first round, she did so with little authority, and Holm was easily able to escape the armbar that Rousey weakly applied.
As the second round began, Rousey remained intent on pressuring Holm.
But the strategy wasn’t working.
As was the case in the first round, Holm got the better of the exchanges and circled away. When, just 59 seconds into the round, Holm punch stunned Rousey, the former kickboxer was ready to pounce. As Rousey dipped her head, desperately trying to clinch her opponent, Holm stepped away and launched a left kick that landed squarely on Rousey’s jaw. The impact immediately disconnected Rousey from her senses. The fight was over. In a stunning upset, the UFC had a new women’s bantamweight champion.
The Aftermath
The result seemed to leave even Holm in disbelief. “This is crazy!” she said in an interview after the win. But she credited her extensive training for her defeat of Rousey. “Everything we worked on presented itself in the fight.”
Rousey’s post-fight activities were far less celebratory. She was rushed to the hospital, where she underwent a CT scan, which fortunately came back normal.
The Legacy
In some ways, both Holm’s and Rousey’s popularity crested on that November night. Holm was not able to capitalize on the upset win, as she dropped the bantamweight title to Miesha Tate in her next fight. She lost two more times and went 5-7-1 overall over the remainder of her time in the UFC following her victory over Rousey. Now 43, she has returned to boxing and most recently beat Yolanda Guadalupe Vega Ochoa in June.
Rousey, for her part, took an entire year to return to UFC. During her time away, she pursued mainstream stardom by starring in a Reebok commercial, hosting Saturday Night Live, and appearing on Time magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential People. While all this was happening, however, the pain of the loss to Holm was badly affecting her, and she admitted to having thoughts of suicide.
When Rousey did return to the UFC, it became quickly apparent that the sport had passed her by. Her return bout saw her square off with bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes, who knocked Rousey out in 46 seconds. The speed and authority of the finish resembled the manner in which “Rowdy” had once felled her opponents. It was the last time Rousey appeared in the Octagon.
Despite the disappointing end to her UFC tenure, Rousey’s seismic effect on the UFC—and women’s combat sports in general is undeniable. As Holm continues to fight on, Rousey is now a UFC Hall of Famer, having been inducted in 2018. While the two combatants shared only a few minutes together in the Octagon, their names will forever be linked in the history of the UFC.