Ronda Rousey could defeat 50 percent of the fighters competing in the UFC men’s bantamweight division, according to UFC commentator Joe Rogan.
Another brilliant performance from the UFC women’s bantamweight champ Saturday night has the UFC desperately searching for contenders to challenge the pound-for-pound queen. Cat Zingano became the latest victim of Rousey’s patented armbar just 14 seconds in the first round of the main event at UFC 184.
Rousey’s past three title defenses have lasted one minute and 36 seconds combined. UFC President Dana White called her the female version of Mike Tyson at the UFC 184 post-fight press conference and even joked that he’d have to move her to the men’s division.
But Rogan isn’t laughing.
During an appearance on The Dan Le Batard Show, Rogan gave the ultimate compliment in claiming Rousey could be competitive in the men’s bantamweight division.
“There’s a lot of guys her size she could beat,” said Rogan. “I mean, a lot. If you took the roster of the UFC’s bantamweights, 135 pounds, and you paired them up against Ronda Rousey, she might be able to beat 50 percent of them. That’s not a joke.”
Rogan admitted that the difference in the male and female bone structure is his reasoning for stopping at 50 percent.
“If she could take the kind of punches that some of these guys might possibly land, it might get up to like 60 percent. She’s a truly special talent,” he said.
We have already seen Rousey grapple around with the likes of Nick Diaz, Gilbert Melendez and BJ Penn and hold her own. Of course, these were noncompetitive grappling sessions, focusing more on the technical side of things.
It’s a completely different world moving at 100 percent and absorbing power strikes from a world-class, professional male athlete. But Rousey’s judo and submission game is certainly slick enough to hang with the best in the world.
Rogan is definitely right about one thing: Rousey is a special talent.
Jordy McElroy is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA writer for Rocktagon and FanRag Sports.
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