UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is convinced that Gina Carano would be her biggest test to date inside the cage—even though the women’s MMA pioneer hasn’t fought in five years.
In an in-depth interview with ESPN The Magazine, the “Rowdy” one explained why the fellow fighter/movie star could still provide a stiff challenge in a potential fight.
My coach said from the start that Gina is the worst style matchup for me. I’m not just saying that. I don’t have to worry about fighters outmuscling or overwhelming me or catching me on the mat. The only thing I have to worry about is the one-punch knockout … And out of all of the women in MMA, Gina has the best feel for distance and timing. That’s not something you lose because you made a couple of movies. You’ll always have that. And she was the first girl I ever saw that had a one-punch standing knockout.
Carano, whose last bout was a one-sided TKO at the hands of Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino in August 2009, began her career with back-to-to back knockouts in 2006.
However, she only achieved one stoppage in her next five victories—a TKO via a doctor stoppage against Kaitlin Young in May 2008.
Since then, Carano has traded in the rash guards and gloves for the silver screen, starring in action flicks such as Haywire, Fast & Furious 6 and In the Blood.
Carano has been rumored to ink a deal with the UFC for months now, where she is expected to face Rousey right off the bat in December, per Yahoo Sports.
UFC President Dana White said about three weeks ago that a contract with Carano was nearly complete, though she is yet to formally join the company roster as of this writing.
As for Rousey, the dominant titleholder (10-0) has left the first round just once in her career and, after finishing her first eight opponents with her patented armbar, has recorded back-to-back TKO finishes over Sara McMann and Alexis Davis.
Rousey awaits her next fight as she nurses a broken hand, though it is plausible she could fight one more time before the year ends.
Would Rousey vs. Carano actually be a competitive affair or would it be another academic title defense for the champ that lasts under a minute?
John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA editor for eDraft.com.
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