Hosting 'SNL,' Ronda Rousey acknowledges Holly Holm 'deserved to win'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Former UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey addressed her fans for the first time since her November loss to Holly Holm on “Saturday Night Live,” and she acknowledged the current champ during the monologue.
“It was a fight that Holly deserved to win, and I just wanted to take a moment to sincerely congratulate her,” Rousey said with a smile before quickly shutting down any applause for Holm. “That's enough!”
She also mentioned that despite worries that she may not be ready to host the comedy show – or to get back into the Octagon – she is “ready to crush it.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rousey, 28, went on to handle the rest of the monologue with grace – and with a little help from SNL cast member Kate McKinnon impersonating Justin Bieber and a sing-along with musical guest, Selena Gomez.
Gomez, who was also making her debut on the long-time running skit show, then kind of stole the show.
Aside from her appearance in the opening monologue, she appeared on a “Bachelor” spoof called “Bland Man,” and delivered two sultry performances from her latest album, “Revival.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The former Disney Channel star sang a medley of “Good for You” and “Same Old Love” before transforming the SNL sound stage into a bedroom for her current single, “Hands to Myself.”
Saturday night’s show also saw the return of Tina Fey, who reprised her famous impression of Sarah Palin. The sketch kicked off the show, with Fey and Darrell Hammond skewering the former Alaska governor’s endorsement of Donald Trump on Tuesday.
As Palin, Fey said she had come to Iowa to take a break from "my full-time career of writing things on Facebook."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The show also parodied this year's all-white Oscar acting nominees with a mock award show nominating white actors who played bit roles in African-American films.
In the sketch, an award was given to "all the white guys" in predominantly black films modeled after "Creed," ''Compton" and "Beasts of No Nation." The roles were barely cameos, like: "White Man with Camera" and "Unseen Voice on Phone."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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