Author: Alex Ballentine

Rousey vs. Zingano Results: Winner, Recap and Reaction from UFC 184

Cat Zingano can now be added to the expanding list of women who have tried and failed to best Ronda Rousey in the Octagon. “Rowdy” dispatched her latest contender via first-round submission in the main event from the Staples Center in Los Angeles at UF…

Cat Zingano can now be added to the expanding list of women who have tried and failed to best Ronda Rousey in the Octagon. “Rowdy” dispatched her latest contender via first-round submission in the main event from the Staples Center in Los Angeles at UFC 184. 

And she barely broke a sweat doing it. 

MMA Junkie tweeted out the official result:

Zingano immediately came across the cage looking to take down the champion, which she did successfully, but the champion did what she does best and put Zingano in an armbar before most in attendance and watching around the world could discern what was happening. 

The lightning quick finish was notable for more than one reason. According to ESPN Stats & Info and the UFC’s Twitter page, the result set a few records:

Zingano had a difficult time hiding her disappointment in the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, via MMA Fighting:

The win is yet another testament to the dominance that Rousey has displayed in the Octagon. Last year, she spent one minute and 22 seconds in two fights combined defending her belt. Now she’s started off 2015 by defeating one of the few women left in the division who conceivably had a shot at dethroning her. 

There’s no mistaking it, Zingano was the clear-cut No. 1 contender heading into this bout. Her third-round finish of Miesha Tate remains one of the better displays of cardio and power since the creation of the division in the UFC. 

But even that kind of performance pales in comparison to what Rousey has been able to do in the Octagon. 

Now the question becomes, who’s next? And how long can this domination continue?

If Rousey has her way, her reign won’t stop until she considers herself the best of all time, per Marc Raimondi of MMAFighting.com:

Definitely it’s a goal of mine… Whether I achieve that or not, whether or not people perceive it one way or another has nothing to do with the accomplishment. I’ll know when I reach the point, like “OK, I’m the most dominant and the greatest of all time.” I know that I’m there and I’ll be ready to hang up my gloves and move on. But whether or not anyone else sees it that way doesn’t matter. Because I’ll see it that way.

At this rate, where she’s ranked on the pound-for-pound rankings is an interesting question. Jon Jones currently resides at No. 1 in the rankings. The undefeated women’s bantamweight champion came into this bout at No. 7. 

With another win over one of the best in her division, a move up the ladder is justified. 

That doesn’t mean she’s seen the end of worthy challengers, though. Interesting possibilities still exist for Rousey, including a dream fight of sorts against Invicta featherweight champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino. 

Even if the Cyborg fight never materializes, women’s MMA is still growing. Holly Holm’s bout with Raquel Pennington may have been underwhelming, but more contenders (and stars) will arise. 

One might even reach the notoriety and cache that Rousey has built. Until then, it looks like Rousey is more than willing to continue carrying the torch for the sport. 

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UFC 184: Fight Card Start Time and Final Rousey vs. Zingano Predictions

Can Cat Zingano really push Ronda Rousey to her limits? 
That’s the question being asked at UFC 184. The dominant champion will take on what appears to be her toughest test to date. 
Thus far, the judoka has dominated the women’s bantamweight…

Can Cat Zingano really push Ronda Rousey to her limits? 

That’s the question being asked at UFC 184. The dominant champion will take on what appears to be her toughest test to date. 

Thus far, the judoka has dominated the women’s bantamweight division. Since its creation in the UFC, she has been the reigning champion, dispatching of all her opponents save one in the first round. Like Royce Gracie in the early UFC days, she’s simply miles ahead of the competition. 

But staring at her from across the cage Saturday might be a foe worthy of challenging the champion. 

Zingano might not have the same name recognition or knack for fight promotion as her UFC 184 opponent, but she does have enough strength, heart and power to make things interesting. That’s more than could be said for most of Rousey‘s opponents so far.

The women’s title fight isn’t the only bout on the card generating some interest. Here’s a look at the entire card along with predictions for the biggest bouts on the card. 

 

Jake Ellenberger vs. Josh Koscheck

If this fight were happening in 2011, it would be a much bigger deal. In 2015, it’s intrigue largely comes from which of these fighters really has anything left. 

Both Koscheck and Ellenberger used to be legitimate contenders in the welterweight division. Now, they’ve combined to go 0-6 in their last six outings. 

If the odds are to be believed, Ellenberger should win this fight. He’s the younger of the two. He’s 29, but there are plenty of fighters who fight well into their 30s. Add in the fact that “The Juggernaut’s” losses have come against the current champion, the No. 2-ranked fighter in the division and up-and-coming Kelvin Gastelum, and it’s easy to see why Odds Shark currently has him listed as a 10-19 favorite. 

So why pick Koscheck?

Well, the 37-year-old is coming off a 15-month layoff, which the veteran has acknowledged was partially due to burnout. 

“Quite a long time off,” Koscheck said, via Anthony Galaviz of The Fresno Bee, “but I’ve been at this for quite a long time and I feel like I was in need of a break from this sport. … I felt like I needed to step away after that last loss with Tyron and focus on me and improving my boxing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu and just improving as a mixed martial artist.”

If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s a similar refrain to the one 35-year-old Frank Mir sang before his recent bout with Antonio Silva. His layoff led to a rejuvenating first-round finish of “Bigfoot.” 

With Ellenberger just three months removed from being submitted in the first round by Gastelum, Koscheck‘s lengthy layoff might be just what the doctor ordered to get him back in the win column. 

 

Holly Holm vs. Raquel Pennington

After months of waiting, accomplished boxer Holly Holm will finally make her UFC debut. The UFC couldn’t have picked a better opponent to welcome her to the Octagon, either. 

Raquel Pennington has some cache with casual fans thanks to her stint on The Ultimate Fighter. She also fights a relatively exciting style. Her 4.77 significant strikes landed per minute, according to FightMetric, would be indicative of a fighter who is willing to trade. Her 3.40 significant strikes absorbed is indicative of a fighter not all that willing to evade strikes. 

In essence, she’s the perfect fighter for Holm to show off those polished striking skills. 

It should be noted that the UFC newcomer doesn’t necessarily have exceptional power. Only nine of her 33 boxing victories came by way of knockout. Pennington’s finished six of seven MMA fights but has never been knocked out.

Expect that toughness to allow Rocky to survive the early rounds, but Holm‘s ability to outstrike Pennington will eventually give way to a third-round finish.

 

Ronda Rousey vs. Cat Zingano

This fight could go one of two ways.

The first—which is the official prediction in this space—resembles most of Rousey‘s bouts, with the scowling judoka rushing across the Octagon, blitzkrieging her latest opponent, working her way to the mat and getting the tap within the first three minutes via that signature armbar.

Rousey‘s ability to execute that game plan, combined with Zingano‘s tendency to start slowly, sets up perfectly for that sequence of events to play out.

But should Zingano find a way to survive those early moments of the bout, things will get interesting.

The Alpha Cat’s ability to mount a comeback after a slow start has been evident in her last two bouts. After being outstruck by both Miesha Tate and Amanda Nunes in the opening round, she came back and finished them in devastating fashion. 

Looking at Rousey‘s body of work, she’s only been beyond the first round one time in her career. Her rematch with Tate wasn’t finished until the third round. If Zingano can get the fight to that point, she might be able to push the champion in ways we haven’t seen. 

Then again, Rousey still came out on top against her bitter rival. Even a five-round war with a worthy opponent might not be enough to stop Rowdy’s title reign. 

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UFC 184: Start Time, Prelim Live Stream Info and Full Fight Card Predictions

UFC 184 comes with some questions attached. 
For instance, just how strong is the drawing power of Ronda Rousey? The women’s bantamweight champion—and one of the UFC’s most recognizable stars—will headline the event. But with the …

UFC 184 comes with some questions attached. 

For instance, just how strong is the drawing power of Ronda Rousey? The women’s bantamweight champion—and one of the UFC’s most recognizable stars—will headline the event. But with the co-main event featuring a sub-.500 fighter (Raquel Pennington) and a woman making her UFC debut (Holly Holm), the organization is really depending on Rousey to bring in the buys on this one. 

The booking not only has to do with UFC President Dana White‘s belief in Rousey as someone with drawing power, but the caliber of Cat Zingano as a challenger. 

“She’s the headliner,” White told Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports regarding the expected celebrity-heavy crowd at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. “She’s the one who’s getting pushed. She’s the champion. She’s the star. She’s at such a high level that other celebrities recognize that, but it also has to do with the fight. It’s a tough, legit fight. Cat Zingano is probably the greatest threat to Ronda there is.“

But whether Zingano really has what it takes to push Rousey isn’t the only question on the card. There’s plenty of intrigue surrounding Saturday’s slate of fights. Here’s a look at all the information you’ll need to take in the fights along with predictions for the entire card. 

 

When: Saturday, Feb. 28

Start Time: Fight Pass prelims at 7 p.m. ET; Fox Sports 1 prelims at 8 p.m. ET; main card pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET

Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles

Live Stream: UFC.tv

 

Top Storylines to Watch

Where Does Tony Ferguson Rank in Stacked Lightweight Division?

It isn’t easy to get noticed at 155 pounds these days. The division currently ruled by Anthony Pettis has no shortage of fighters who are deserving of title-shot consideration or just one win away from joining the upper echelon. 

Rafael dos Anjos, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Donald Cerrone currently sit atop the UFC rankings, and names like Eddie Alvarez, Jim Miller and Al Iaquinta round out the Top 15. 

Attempting to break into those rankings will be 31-year-old Tony Ferguson. El Cucuy has been on a four-fight win streak since suffering his only UFC loss to Michael Johnson in May 2012. However, none of the victims involved in that streak were as accomplished as Gleison Tibau.

Tibau has become the epitome of a gatekeeper for the lightweight division. Beat the American Top Team fighter and you’re likely on to bigger and better things (like Johnson, who handed Tibau his last loss). Lose to him, and it proves you aren’t ready for the big time. 

A finish for Ferguson should set him up with a legitimate Top 15 opponent next time out. 

 

Who Has More Left: Josh Koscheck or Jake Ellenberger?

There was a time when Josh Koscheck and Jake Ellenberger could have made for a decent pay-per-view main event, but that time is long gone. 

Koscheck is no longer the fighter who beat Anthony Johnson. At 37 years old, just how many fights he has left in his body is a legitimate question. 

Things don’t get much better on the other side of the cage, either. Ellenberger may only be 29 years old, but he doesn’t look like the guy who once put together a six-fight win streak and appeared destined for a title shot. 

These two are a combined 0-6 in their last six fights and looking for redemption. While that record looks ugly, it did come against a high level of competition for both guys. They both lost to current champion Robbie Lawler, while Kos also lost to Johny Hendricks and Tyron Woodley. Ellenberger fell to Rory MacDonald and Kelvin Gastelum. 

Who has the wherewithal to bounce back from his losing ways?

In some ways, this could mirror the Frank Mir vs. Antonio Silva fight that fans saw last week. Silva came into the bout as a heavy favorite due to Mir’s recent struggles, but the former champion was able to spring the upset in part because he took time off to heal. 

With Koscheck making his return to the Octagon after more than a year away from fighting, he’s just dangerous enough as an underdog to get the job done. 

 

Is Holly Holm the Real Deal?

Before Rousey and Zingano take center stage in the night’s main event, Holly Holm will finally get her chance to show what she can do in the UFC. 

In a division bereft of many marketable contenders, the organization is setting the stage for Holm to immediately become a household name if she can rise to the occasion. The New Mexico-based fighter established a name for herself in boxing and has looked good thus far in her transition to the world of MMA. 

The 33-year-old has struck her way to a 7-0 record in her new sport, but as Jonathan Snowden of Bleacher Report points out, her opposition has been questionable at best:

In actuality, the quality of competition isn’t getting much better in her co-main event bout. Pennington is just 5-4 in her MMA career with her two UFC wins coming against Roxanne Modafferi and Ashlee Evans-Smith. That’s not exactly a murderers’ row.

Still, Pennington has flashed some potential and is the best opponent that Holm has seen. The expectation is that the UFC brought in Holm as an eventual opponent for Rousey, but the newcomer still needs to take a few steps before that’s a viable main event. 

Scoring an impressive finish as the lead-in to a Rousey title defense would be a big step in that direction. 

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Rousey vs. Zingano: Odds, Comments and Predictions for UFC 184

One by one, Ronda Rousey has emphatically finished every challenger that’s come her way. Fight by fight, Cat Zingano hasn’t let anyone stop her on her march to the top. 
At UFC 184, the two undefeated women will stand across from one another in th…

One by one, Ronda Rousey has emphatically finished every challenger that’s come her way. Fight by fight, Cat Zingano hasn’t let anyone stop her on her march to the top. 

At UFC 184, the two undefeated women will stand across from one another in the Octagon and only one will leave with that precious zero in the loss column.

The odds-on favorite to be that woman is Rousey. The champion’s undefeated streak is a little different to her challenger’s. Zingano has had to escape the clutches of defeat. She’s looked mortal. She’s been taken down in each of her UFC bouts thus far.

Rousey has retained her undefeated status with the kind of dominance that meant she spent exactly one minute and 22 seconds defending her belt in the Octagon last year. Her average fight lasts two minutes and 37 seconds.

Still, this is MMA. Coming off a card that featured 10 upsets in 11 fights, assuming is not a prognosticator’s friend in this sport. 

Here’s a look at the tale of the tape, latest odds and build up to the main event, along with a prediction as to who will emerge with the belt around her waist on Saturday night.

 Odds via Odds Shark as of Thursday, Feb. 26 at 8 p.m. ET.

 

What They’re Saying

Ronda Rousey isn’t usually one to mince words. She’s almost as well known for her willingness to say whatever is on her mind as she is for her ferocity inside the cage. 

Yet, you’ll be hard pressed to see many disparaging or even aggressive quotes addressed toward Cat Zingano. Holly Holm or Arianny Celeste may be a different story, but the champion hasn’t had much to say about the opponent she’ll meet in Los Angeles because she doesn’t see much point in saying much, given Zingano’s toughness, per Elias Cepeda of Fox Sports:

Cat is different because not only is she undefeated but she has the kind of indomitable spirit that I haven’t seen exhibited by anyone else, at the level that she has. …

She’s been down in fights before, and every single time, she’s come back and finished the other person. And given everything she’s been through lately in her life outside of fighting, I really feel like she’s one of those people that’s impossible to intimidate, so I don’t even try.

While Rousey describes the toughness and perseverance that Zingano has demonstrated in her career, another word to describe the contender could be quiet. The challenger doesn’t have much of a history of pre-fight talk and hype. Unsurprisingly, there hasn’t been much talk about Rousey from the Alpha Cat’s camp.

That doesn’t mean she isn’t confident, though. “I don’t feel like she’s been challenged the way she will with me,” Zingano told Michael Martinez of UFC.com. “I feel like I’m a different, complete pedigree than anyone she’s ever been against, and I think she knows that as well.”

There’s some truth to Zingano’s statement. She represents a challenge Rousey has yet to face in her title reign. We’ve seen Rousey take on good grapplers but none who appear to be as big and strong as the Alpha Cat.

One look at the third round of Zingano’s fight with Miesha Tate reveals the type of power and—cardio—Rousey will be dealing with. Zingano finished that fight with brutal knees to Tate after nearly falling prey to an armbar in the second round.

 

Prediction

On paper, Zingano has a path to victory. That’s more than could be said for most of Rousey’s opponents. 

Given the power that Zingano has proved she has on the feet, and the cardio it took to pick up three of her nine career victories by way of (T)KO in the third round, hypothetically, Zingano’s odds of winning increase with every round she survives. 

For all of Rousey’s greatness, her cardio is not something we’ve seen tested. The champion has been out of the first round just once: a third-round submission of Tate.

With Zingano earning the same result, her ability to finish fights as the rounds go by is more proven. If she can just find a way to make it out of those first one or two rounds without submitting, she could set up an interesting three rounds to close out the fight.

However, there’s just one problem with that theory. The challenger has been known to get off to slow starts. Amanda Nunes landed 21 significant strikes to Zingano’s three in the first round of her most recent UFC bout. Tate also outlanded her in the first frame of their bout.

There’s also the fact that she was taken down by both Nunes and Tate. 

As Rousey pointed out in her quote, Zingano has made a living out of rallying despite the odds. But that’s a different order entirely when going against a fighter of Rousey’s caliber.

Rousey by first-round submission (armbar).

 

All bout and card information via UFC.com. All statistics via FightMetric unless otherwise noted.

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UFC 184: Early Predictions for Rousey vs. Zingano Main Event

When it comes to women’s MMA, UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey hasn’t yet found an equal inside the Octagon. At UFC 184, Cat Zingano will try to prove that she is Rousey’s equal. 
To this point, Rousey hasn’t just gone undefeated; sh…

When it comes to women’s MMA, UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey hasn’t yet found an equal inside the Octagon. At UFC 184, Cat Zingano will try to prove that she is Rousey’s equal. 

To this point, Rousey hasn’t just gone undefeated; she has obliterated anyone standing in her way. The 28-year-old’s perfect 10-0 record is enhanced by the fact that all 10 fights have ended in stoppage. Her fights have combined for only 12 total rounds.

Rousey has been in the cage for as many rounds as one championship boxing fight. That’s dominance. 

She hasn’t fought an opponent quite like Zingano, though. The Alpha Cat has power, the kind that has led her to an unblemished record of her own. The 32-year-old is 9-0 with eight finishes. However, her brand of violence is not as dominant as Rousey’s. She’s fought in 22 rounds. 

Odds via Odds Shark as of Sunday, Feb. 22 at 11 p.m. ET.

So what will happen when these two unbeaten fighters enter the Octagon to close out UFC 184? Here’s a look at all the essential information surrounding the bout along with an early prediction. 

 

When: Saturday, Feb. 28

Start Time: Fight Pass prelims at 7 p.m. ET (subscription required); Fox Sports 1 prelims at 8 p.m. ET; main card pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET

Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

Live Stream: UFC.tv

 

Fight Preview

As the long odds would indicate, there isn’t much belief that Cat Zingano can get the job done against the champion. 

That’s an understandable sentiment. The champion has done nothing but dominate the division since its creation. Miesha Tate surviving more than two rounds with Rowdy has been considered a feat. Rousey defended her belt twice in 2014 for a combined one minute and 22 seconds of actual fight time. 

What is scarier is that Rousey feels better physically heading into 2015 than she did in her dominant 2014, per Damon Martin of Fox Sports:

I’m perfectly healthy and better than ever before. I can just feel my body itching to fight again. … You have to remember I’ve been pretty much fighting all my UFC fights with one leg. Now I feel better than I did when I was 16 years old fighting when I got my first knee surgery. I really feel rejuvenated like I molted or something and I have a brand new body. I allowed myself to rest and recuperate.

That being said, Zingano is still one of the best fighters in the division. There are areas where she could conceivably test Rousey, specifically on the feet. Here’s how the two compare statistically as both strikers and grapplers:

The area of concern for Zingano is takedown defense. Her rate of 55 percent is good enough to fend off most opponents, but Rousey isn’t just another opponent. Where Alpha can generally use her muscle to work her way back to the feet, few have survived a Rousey takedown to stand and strike again. 

Zingano‘s ability to fend off Rousey‘s judo throws and takedown attempts will dictate just how long this fight lasts. 

 

Prediction

If Zingano‘s previous bout with Miesha Tate is any indication, this might be a short night of work for Rousey once again. While Zingano was able to ultimately defeat Tate via knockout, it wasn’t before Tate nearly ended the fight with an armbar of her own in the second round. 

Here’s Cupcake nearly ending the fight on her third takedown of the night against Zingano:

There are still those who believe Zingano can be the one to challenge Rousey, though. Julia Budd, who fought Rousey in 2011 under the Strikeforce banner, believes the champ will see her toughest test to date, per Steve Juon of MMAMania.com:

I can’t see it ending…well I can see it ending by armbar but I see it going longer and Cat definitely being able to use her stand-up to keep Ronda (away). It’s hard to vote against Ronda because she’s been so dominant, but I think that Cat stands a good chance — the best chance of any of the opponents she’s faced.

Watching Zingano vs. Tate to its conclusion, the way the challenger dominated and finished the third and final round is something to applaud. There’s an argument to be made that Zingano‘s power in close quarters could stave off the inevitable.

However, Zingano has also been taken down by Amanda Nunes in her other UFC bout. That’s a trend that doesn’t bode well for surviving to see a third, fourth or fifth round against the champion.

Rousey via first-round submission (armbar)

 

All bout and card information via UFC.com. All statistics via FightMetric unless otherwise noted.

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UFC Fight Night 61 Results: Winners, Scorecards from Bigfoot vs. Mir Fight Card

UFC Fight Night 61 could be recapped with one word: upsets. 
According to the final odds posted by Odds Shark, nine straight winners were considered underdogs when the final odds posted. Of course that meant Frank Mir had his hand raised in the fi…

UFC Fight Night 61 could be recapped with one word: upsets. 

According to the final odds posted by Odds Shark, nine straight winners were considered underdogs when the final odds posted. Of course that meant Frank Mir had his hand raised in the final match of the evening. 

Despite four straight losses, a layoff that lasted more than a year and the disadvantage of fighting a Brazilian in Brazil, the 35-year-old came through with a big knockout victory. 

Considering his current place in the heavyweight pecking order, he wasn’t the night’s biggest winner, though. That would be Michael Johnson. The No. 12 lightweight according to UFC’s rankings upended the No. 6 man in the division, Edson Barboza. 

There were plenty of other exciting results to be witnessed in Porto Alegre. Continue reading to catch up on all the action that went down and what it means going forward. 

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