Ronda Rousey will put her unbeaten record on the line and attempt to defend her UFC women’s bantamweight title for the sixth time Saturday night when she faces Brazilian powerhouse Bethe Correia in the main event of UFC 190.
Correia has the home-field advantage with the event taking place in Rio de Janeiro and has a similar undefeated record, but there’s little else in her favor going into this one. The 28-year-old Rousey has never looked more invincible as she stakes her claim as the world’s most dominant combat artist, and her opponent will have to be at her best to prevent an early submission.
Friday’s weigh-in is sure to include some dramatics, so let’s take a look at the bout before that takes place.
UFC 190: Rousey vs. Correia Odds
Odds courtesy of Odds Shark, last updated July 31.
For all of the boom in popularity that the MMA in general has seen with the flourishing of the UFC, it’s undeniably hard to believe a face of the sport has immersed so centrally into the sporting culture.
And for all of the hype generated in the past by the likes of Anderson Silva or Brock Lesner, or even in the present with Conor McGregor, there’s been no male fighter who has taken over the sport quite like Rousey. In terms of wrestling prowess, her total of 30 seconds fought in her last two fights—amid submission finishes of 16 seconds and 14 seconds—shows her formidability.
However, that hasn’t scared off Correia.
The Brazilian sees through the facade of Rousey‘s vaunted status as an untouchable fighter and believes wholeheartedly in her own chances. Not only does she think she can beat Rousey, but she believes it will bring justice to the sport, as she told Rolling Stone‘s James Montgomery:
She’s trying to create this illusion around herself and it’s making me want to go out there and do justice for everyone else. She’s never faced someone who is as strong as I am, physically and mentally. She’s never faced a tough Brazilian who has been through wars and a lot to get here to where I’m at.
The 32-year-old Brazilian has never lost in the Octagon, and she can attribute that to a tough-nosed mentality and an affinity for standing and striking. There are few women more powerful in the weight class, and those heavy hands will be among her biggest weapons.
That’s a potential area of concern for Rousey, who is best utilizing her massive strength by taking opponents to the ground. She’s rarely gotten into a punch-out brawl, with a notable exception coming against Meisha Tate in perhaps her most susceptible outing.
Correia‘s ability to land big blows with her fists will peak the interest of some, but it’s far from enough to hang with a motivated Rousey in the Octagon.
Both fighters are unbeaten, but not all undefeated streaks are made equal. Consider this—three of the opponents Correia has faced in the UFC are a combined 1-7, while Rousey quietly rides the carousel of the world’s best fighters.
There’s already a bout with Tate looming for the winner, but as Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Botter noted, that’s all but a foregone conclusion:
For what Correia lacks as an all-around fighter, she more than makes up for in being tough as nails. That will allow her to hang around in this fight for more than a minute or two, which is more than any of Rousey‘s last three opponents can say, who lasted a combined 96 seconds.
Correia will assume a small victory by being able to crawl back to her corner in one piece after Round 1, but she won’t last much longer as Rousey puts her out of her misery with a second-round armbar.
Prediction: Rousey wins via second-round submission.
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