Page 17 - ATD05March2016

SPORTS A17
Saturday 5 March 2016

In this photo taken, Wednes- CADILLAC
day, March 2, 2016, UFC wom- MAN
en’s bantamweight champion
Holly Holm talks with report- Scott hits the front
ers during open workouts for at Doral
UFC 196 at MGM Grand in Las
Vegas. Holm takes on Miesha Adam Scott, of Australia, reacts to his putt on the
Tate in UFC 196 on Saturday. 18th green during the second round of the Ca-
dillac Championship golf tournament, Friday,
Associated Press March 4, 2016, in Doral, Fla.
Associated Press
Holly Holm, Page 19
Conor McGregor

couldn’t wait
for UFC 196

GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Holly
Holm could have kicked
back and prepared for
the rematch while Ronda
Rousey regroups from the
beating Holm gave her
four months ago.
Conor McGregor could
have played it safe and
waited for another title
fight after Rafael Dos Anjos
dropped out of their bout
last week.
Instead, Holm and Mc-
Gregor eagerly accepted
matchups at UFC 196 that
more cautious champions
would have avoided.
Their hunger to fight al-
lowed the UFC to create a
blockbuster pay-per-view
card on Saturday night
headlined by two of its big-
gest stars taking unneces-
sary risks.
“I’m here because I’m pas-
sionate about fighting,”
Holm said. “I don’t want
to do anything because
it’s more strategic. I just
want to fight. ... I told my-
self when I got in this sport,
‘Passion first. Everything
else falls into place.’”

Continued on page 20