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MMA: Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano Has Dollar-Figure, Not Sporting Value

In the world of MMA, the women’s division is ruled by Ronda Rousey.
She’s snatched the position created by Gina Carano years ago and ran with it into stardom. Even though Carano has been away from the sport for years, she’s still a name th…

In the world of MMA, the women’s division is ruled by Ronda Rousey.

She’s snatched the position created by Gina Carano years ago and ran with it into stardom. Even though Carano has been away from the sport for years, she’s still a name that draws attention when mentioned. As talks between Carano and the UFC seem to have stalled, according to Mike Chiappetta of Fox Sports, one must ask if her return is not only in her best interests but those of women’s MMA as a whole.

Gina Carano made history when she took to the Strikeforce hexagon and became, along with Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino, the first women’s main event of a major MMA card. Even though she was toppled in brutal fashion by Cyborg, that one moment led to Carano‘s leap into the movie industry.

At the same time, it pulled her out of the cage for what would be a five-year hiatus. In those five years, women’s mixed martial arts has grown by leaps and bounds.

UFC President Dana White softened his hardline stance against letting women compete in the Octagon. Many attribute that change of heart due to the rise of Rousey. How could you blame him? Rousey immediately become one of the sport’s most important stars and is branching out into other ventures just as Carano did before her.

Comparisons between the two quickly became the norm for fans and talking heads alike. The momentum for a Rousey vs. Carano fight has picked up in 2014. White has even gone on record to say that Carano “deserves” a shot at Rousey. This is Dana White doing the job that he’s become known for doing. While both individuals are trailblazers for women in combat sports, it’s clear where the overall value for this fight lies.

A few things are certain when addressing this potential contest.

First, Rousey, Carano and the UFC would make enormous amounts of money on what would most likely be the biggest women’s fight in the sport’s history. If this bout was made in 2014, there would be a shot for it to be one of the most watched of the year as well. Rousey‘s promotional debut at UFC 157 against Liz Carmouche had one of the highest pay-per-view buyrates of 2013.

Even though her second title defense of the year was a co-main event against Miesha Tate on UFC 168, that card ended up being the best-selling event of 2013 (although the show also featured the rematch of Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva). A fight between Carano and Rousey would be promoted so well that it would easily surpass UFC 157 if not come close to the seven-figure buyrate of UFC 168.

The second certainty of this bout is that Carano would be a major underdog to Rousey. Whether this fight took place at 135 or 145, Gina would be facing an individual that would be the best athlete she’s ever fought. Rousey has faced tougher matchups while enduring a higher level of scrutiny than Carano ever dealt with in her career.

Asking Gina to return after so many years away from the sport to face the pound-for-pound queen of women’s mixed martial arts would be asking way too much, especially if the expectations are for her to be competitive. Many expect Rousey to dispatch of Carano quite easily.

“I really feel that it’s just kind of a joke,” former title challenger Tate stated on MMAjunkie radio. “It really is. Gina was a great fighter, and she’s a beautiful woman. Ronda is a great fighter, and she’s an attractive girl. But to say that Gina should be able to come in after five years of nothing and take on arguably the best female fighter ever? Come on.”

With top fighters such as Holly Holm and Cristiane Justino waiting in the wings, it’s clear why the UFC is making a push to obtain Carano‘s services. As debates rage as to whether or not mixed martial arts is a sport or entertainment, this conversation will stand as a point for those who believe it is clear entertainment. Rousey vs. Carano does have appeal, but that demand comes in the form of dollar figures, not sporting value.

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Dan Henderson’s 5 Potential UFC Middleweight Matchups

Add Dan Henderson’s name to the list of UFC light heavyweights looking for a career-resurgence by dropping to 185 pounds.
MMAFighting.com reported that the former Pride two-division champion will be returning to middleweight for the first time si…

Add Dan Henderson’s name to the list of UFC light heavyweights looking for a career-resurgence by dropping to 185 pounds.

MMAFighting.com reported that the former Pride two-division champion will be returning to middleweight for the first time since his 2010 fight against Jake Shields in Strikeforce.

Hendo hopes to be back in the cage by the end of the year, and the middleweight division is as competitive as it’s ever been. With fighters like Tim Kennedy, Yoel Romero and Luke Rockhold currently jockeying for position in the top 10, there are a number of intriguing matchups for Henderson.

Will we see him take on other legends and former champions in what will most likely be his last few fights?

Perhaps Anderson Silva would be a good option if that will be in the case. If Henderson takes the alternative route and acts as a gatekeeper of sorts for the division’s younger, hungrier talent, then a fight with someone like Rockhold or even Costas Philippou would make sense.

Here are the five best options for Henderson’s return to the middleweight division.

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Alex Caceres Not Worried about Being Overlooked at UFC 175

UFC bantamweight Alex “Bruce Leeroy” Caceres faces the biggest test of his career at UFC 175, taking on former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber in the night’s featured preliminary bout. The fight will give him the opportunity t…

Faber has defeated half of the current Top 10 on the UFC.com rankings, and Caceres understands that some people may be looking past him. Caceres had this to say about his upcoming fight:

“I’m always being a little overlooked going into any fight. With my lifestyle choices, I’m a standout character. People know who I am, and they enjoy watching my fights, but I’m not a mainstream person. I’m not really out there for those kinds of reasons, for fame, glitz, glamour and glory. I simply enjoy performing these actions. Whether I’m in front of a crowd doing it, or if I’m in a hole-in-the-wall gym, it makes no difference to me, and I’m going to be happy doing it.”

He doesn’t concern himself with trying to hype his fights the way some other fighters do. He is simply here to ply his trade, and would rather communicate through his art, saying:

“You don’t see me that much out there promoting myself, and taking selfies and getting out there and saying ‘Hey, look at me, I’m the best.’ I don’t necessarily believe in all that. I’m a very simple person. I’m just a human being that does martial arts, and when I get in there I’ll do it to the best of my ability.”

“It’s not a competition between me and the other person; if anything it’s just a competition with myself. I’m trying to beat myself to see if I’m better than who I am and see if I can achieve a higher level in this playing field.”

“Bruce Leeroy” is known for his relaxed fighting style, and he is one of the more calm and complacent fighters when he’s on his way to the cage. He attributes that to his understanding of the true nature of a fight, saying:

“The way I look at it, there are only two people inside the cage, and somebody has to lose. I don’t think there is any shame in losing inside the UFC cage, inside that Octagon. Just getting there is a feat by itself. And then to beat someone who has trained for you, and is a top athlete—whoever wins is the better man that night and only that night. You always have a lifetime to get back into it and do it again, and transform yourself and get better. You can’t expect to win all the time. There are only two people in there, and one of them has to lose.”

Caceres does not fight to appease the cageside judges. In fact, when he heard his cornermen saying that he had only 30 seconds left in the final round of his fight with Sergio Pettis, his initial thought was not that he needs to find a way to win; instead, it was that he only had 30 seconds left to do what he loves and that he better make the most of that time.

His entertaining style comes from his lack of fear or stress leading up to his fights. His goal is to achieve new heights through his martial arts skills, and being able to go in and compete and truly perform to his potential matters more than actually winning.

“I try to go in there with an empty mind and a full heart, so I don’t hesitate on the actions that I want to perform. I’m not going to hold back because I’m afraid of losing. I just want to do what I do and do it to the best of my abilities. I know with that attitude and that motivation, it will most likely lead me to victory, even though it’s not my main concern. It’s kind of like people who take life too seriously. You can’t get out alive, so you might as well just live.”

Mike Wellman is a contributor for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

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Can the UFC Survive Random Drug Testing?

In the prime of his fighting career, Georges St-Pierre—the former welterweight king and pound-for-pound great—walked away from MMA just eight months ago, citing personal issues.

Months after his departure, the MMA community gained gr…

In the prime of his fighting career, Georges St-Pierre—the former welterweight king and pound-for-pound great—walked away from MMA just eight months ago, citing personal issues.

Months after his departure, the MMA community gained greater insight on what St-Pierre’s concerns were partially hinged upon: the use of performance-enhancing drugs in MMA and the UFC.

As the months went by, it became readily apparent that those sentiments were not unique to St-Pierre. Several other fighters, such as Brian Stann—who claimed that PEDs were a big reason he retired from the sport as well—believe athletic commissions were not doing enough to combat banned substances in MMA, telling Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour back in April (via MMAMania.com):

I’m 33 years old, and I have seen, in my own training, and in talking and knowing guys in the inner circle, I’ve known what guys are not on, and when they cycle on it. You can feel the difference in the gym and what big a difference it makes, and I do think there are a number of guys who are using just because the testing currently our athletic commissions is inadequate.

Dana White and the UFC have always been quick to claim sufficient and successful drug testing, often stating that the promotion completes its own testing separate of any athletic commission. White first told ESPN’s Michelle Beadle on Sportsnation in April:

PEDs have been cleaned up in the UFC. What people don’t realize is that the rule used to be that when commissions would test athletes, they’d do the main event and they’d have a couple of random tests. We’ve been testing everyone on the cards. Everyone’s being tested. It’s been a long time since anybody has tested positive for PEDs in the UFC.

St-Pierre didn‘t agree. He first told Helwani on The MMA Hour in March about how he indirectly disagreed with White’s sentiments (via MMAFighting.com):

The system is not in place. There are no guidelines. The way they test now, it’s not good. It’s not good the way they test. If you get caught on steroids right now, it’s because you’re very disorganized. It’s so easy to beat the test. It’s ridiculous. It’s not a real test.

It’s only taken Chael Sonnen, Wanderlei Silva, Vitor Belfort, Alistair Overeem and Antonio Silva, among others, to prove St-Pierre’s sentiments true—random drug testing is the way to go.

But for all the good random drug testing can provide MMA, it could do a lot of harm too.

Take Major League Baseball and the “steroids era,” for example. People weren’t as concerned about clean play as much as they were about seeing home run records be broken. They didn’t care that pitchers looked like they belonged on the cover of FITNESS Magazine as long as they were throwing heat and making dudes whiff.

Eventually the dirty stuff hit the fan and a bright light was cast upon the shadows that aided cheaters—baseball was officially impure. Much to the credit of the sport’s already established position in the United States, baseball managed to survive.

The UFC is big, but not MLB-big.

Currently the smelly, pimple-faced, rapidly growing teenager that it is, the UFC might not survive having some of its main attractions fall victim to random drug testing.

MMA is still currently illegal in the state of New York. An ongoing, debilitating battle with PED users is not a card the UFC can afford to hold in its hands as it tries to convince the Yankee-faithful of its credibility as a sport in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

That’s not to say that the sport shouldn’t implement random drug testing more often, though—it’s evidently successful in cleaning the sport and creating a more even playing field. But for a promotion that claims it cannot pay its lower-tier fighters more than $8,000 just to show up, there might not be enough money around to keep this party going once all the cool guys and girls have to go home.

Kristian Ibarra is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. He also serves as the sports editor at San Diego State University’s student-run newspaper, The Daily Aztec. Follow him on Twitter at @Kristian_Ibarra for all things MMA.

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Ray Longo: Chris Weidman’s Repaired Knees Won’t Matter Against Lyoto Machida

For the first time in two years, Chris Weidman will enter the Octagon against somebody not named Anderson Silva.
The middleweight champion was originally scheduled to take on the surging Vitor Belfort at UFC 173. Elevated testosterone levels from…

For the first time in two years, Chris Weidman will enter the Octagon against somebody not named Anderson Silva.

The middleweight champion was originally scheduled to take on the surging Vitor Belfort at UFC 173. Elevated testosterone levels from Belfort and surgery on both of Weidman’s knees changed all of that.

Now slated to make his second title defense as the UFC middleweight king, Weidman will take his surgically repaired knees into the Octagon against Lyoto Machida on July 5 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas for UFC 175.

Considering Weidman only had surgery in April, much of the MMA community was left wondering whether or not Weidman would be able to recover in time for his fight against The Dragon.

Weidman initially called his surgeries a success. He posted this photo on his Instagram profile after the surgery:

Weidman’s long-time trainer Ray Longo wasn’t as quick to claim victory with Weidman’s surgeries, telling Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour:

As a trainer, I expected him, as far as I was told, to fly off the table and everything would be great. But he did have some pain in his knees maybe a week longer than I thought. When you’re in a fight, that week seems like it’s, you know, 18 years.

Middleweight champion or not, Weidman needs to be healthy against a rejuvenated Machida.

After a flash knockout and checking a leg kick against the former pound-for-pound best, Weidman’s wafer-thin, asterisk-ridden credibility as the champion would only dilapidate in losing to Machida. A dominant victory after two knee surgeries would placate any doubts and propel the 30-year-old Weidman into the same sentences as UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo.

Now, just two weeks before his title fight, Longo explained to Helwani he thinks his fighter is going to be just fine.

He’s going to do it. Again, it did sound, I think, worse than it was and if anybody can do it, Weidman is the guy to do it. I think he’s dealt with adversity his whole life. You know, we have to trust in the doctors at that point and they said it wouldn’t be an issue. It started off a little rough, but I’ll tell you this, he rounded the corner. His knees feel great and he’s ready to go.

It may be difficult to tell if Longo is speaking truths or simply speaking in support of his fighter. Videos like the one below might help prove that Weidman will, in fact, be ready for his fight in July.

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Watch UFC Strawweight Claudia Gadelha Beat the Crap Out of Dudes on ‘Panico Na TV’

(Abs. Also pictured: Claudia Gadelha)

By Ryan Harkness

I think we all agree that The Ultimate Fighter has become a tired, worn out concept — to the point where even the fighters on the show don’t seem to give much of a crap any more. But women are doing their best to eliminate that not so fresh feeling from the show. TUF 18 featured bantamweight women alongside men, and TUF 20 (debuting in September) will be 100% 115-pound female goodness.

One fighter originally slated to appear on TUF 20 was Claudia Gadelha. Considered by many to be the ringer of the season, the undefeated BJJ black belt ended up being removed due to her inability to no speako de englis. But because of this switch-up, it now looks like she’ll get the honor of kicking off the women’s strawweight division when she fights ~~victim~~ opponent Tina Lahdemaki at UFC Fight Night 45 on July 16th.

It turns out that Claudia also has a bit of an interesting history: She is best known for a stint on Brazilian television where she fought dudes in the cage for a show called Panico Na TV. None of these guys were actually professional fighters and you can tell the goal isn’t to murderize each other. But speaking as an ill prepared TV host who once ‘fought’ Patrick Cote, this stuff can get pretty serious (at least for the poor bastards getting whupped).

Let’s take a look at some of these videos!

(Abs. Also pictured: Claudia Gadelha)

By Ryan Harkness

Let’s take a look at some of these videos!

The silliest and therefore best of the bunch. Three Panico Na TV hosts visit Claudia where she trains, and she beats all three like bongos. If you’ve only got time to watch one person get their ass whupped today, may I recommend host #3 (7:20 into the vid), who decides about halfway through that he no longer wants to do this skit.

Next page: More of Claudia hurting poorly prepared individuals!