Ronda Rousey needed all of 14 seconds to defend her UFC women’s bantamweight title and defeat Cat Zingano at UFC 184. Almost immediately after the opening bell rang, Rousey saw an opening and locked in her armbar. From there, Zingano had no choice but …
Ronda Rousey needed all of 14 seconds to defend her UFC women’s bantamweight title and defeat Cat Zingano at UFC 184. Almost immediately after the opening bell rang, Rousey saw an opening and locked in her armbar. From there, Zingano had no choice but to tap.
The result tied the UFC record for quickest submission:
Perhaps even more impressive was the fact that Rousey admitted the armbar was completely improvised in the middle of the Octagon, per MMA Fighting:
MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani noted how quickly the 28-year-old won her last three fights:
There is no other athlete in the world like Rousey right now. Nobody is as guaranteed to deliver as the women’s bantamweight champion.
She’s a force of nature, and it’s hard to see who could possibly stop her. And when you think she doesn’t have any surprises left, she taps out the No. 1 contender in 14 seconds.
Ronda Rousey remains the queen of the women’s bantamweight division after beating Cat Zingano at UFC 184 on Saturday night in Los Angeles.
Rousey and Zingano headlined the card, which was originally supposed to feature a middleweight title fight betwee…
Ronda Rousey remains the queen of the women’s bantamweight division after beating Cat Zingano at UFC 184 on Saturday night in Los Angeles.
Rousey and Zingano headlined the card, which was originally supposed to feature a middleweight title fight between Chris Weidman and VitorBelfort. Weidman got hurt in training, however, which meant cancelling that bout and elevating Rousey vs. Zingano.
Here’s a look at the main card results and some of the more notable reactions on social media during the pay-per-view.
UFC 184 Results
Reaction
Arguably one of the more talked about topics from Saturday night didn’t have anything to do with what happened in the Octagon. Brock Lesnar showed up cageside with UFC president Dana White, leading many to wonder if Lesnar is working on a return to the company. Dave Sholler, UFC’s vice president of public relations, snapped a photo of Lesnar and White talking in between fights:
Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times provided some clarification:
Although most were happy to see Lesnar near an Octagon, Wilmer Valderrama joked that the former heavyweight champion made for a better door than he did a window.
Of course, the star of the night was Rousey, who submitted Zingano in 14 seconds. The result was rather straightforward. Zingano attempted to take the fight right to Rousey, which was a bad idea. The champion quickly locked in her armbar, and that was all she wrote.
Her win tied the UFC record for quickest submission victory:
MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani made note of how long Rousey needed to prevail in her last three fights:
The result caught the attention of Justin Timberlake, who was simply in awe of Rousey‘s seeming invincibility:
Zingano was visibly upset after the fight and said that she wants another shot at Rousey, per Fox Sports:
Staying in the women’s bantamweight division, Holly Holm had a successful UFC debut, beating Raquel Pennington via split decision. The 33-year-old looked impressive, but it’s clear that she still needs a few more tilts before she can seriously challenge Rousey for the title.
Former mixed martial arts star Gina Carano felt Holm and Pennington put on a great show:
MMA Fighting’s Luke Thomas thinks that it was a good thing Holm didn’t dominate in terms of setting up for a Rousey fight:
Earlier in the night, Jake Ellenberger choked out Josh Koscheck in the second round. It made for one of the more graphic submission victories, as replays showed Koscheck foaming at the mouth as he attempted to wriggle free.
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden thought everybody would’ve been better off without seeing that image:
In the first two fights on the main card, Tony Ferguson earned a first-round submission victory over GleisonTibau, while Alan Jouban knocked out Richard Walsh in the first round.
It’s no secret that Brock Lesnar’s deal with WWE is nearing an end, and MMA Fighting’s Dave Meltzer reported that he and Vince McMahon don’t appear close on completing an extension. Should Lesnar and WWE part ways, a return to UFC wouldn’t be out…
It’s no secret that Brock Lesnar‘s deal with WWE is nearing an end, and MMA Fighting’s Dave Meltzer reported that he and Vince McMahon don’t appear close on completing an extension. Should Lesnar and WWE part ways, a return to UFC wouldn’t be out of the question for the former heavyweight champion.
Lesnar fanned the flames by making an appearance at UFC 184 on Saturday night. Dave Sholler, UFC’s vice president of public relations, snapped a photo of Lesnar talking with UFC president Dana White:
“I don’t know [why he’s here,]” said White regarding the reason for Lesnar’s presence, per Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole.
Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times reported that the 37-year-old is a guest of Lorenzo Fertitta.
Lesnar fought seven times in UFC, compiling a 4-3 record. His last bout came in December 2011, which was a defeat to Alistair Overeem.
Lesnar is scheduled to defend the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 31, which takes place on March 29. It’s doubtful that UFC would announce any sort of contract with him before that, in the event the two sides reach an agreement.
After the injury to Chris Weidman, Ronda Rousey and Cat Zingano will take center stage Saturday night in Los Angeles for UFC 184.
Weidman was originally supposed to headline the pay-per-view in a middleweight title bout with Vitor Belfort. Then, the ch…
After the injury to Chris Weidman, Ronda Rousey and Cat Zingano will take center stage Saturday night in Los Angeles for UFC 184.
Weidman was originally supposed to headline the pay-per-view in a middleweight title bout with VitorBelfort. Then, the champ got hurt in training and had to bow out. Belfortdeclined to fight LyotoMachida for the interim belt, which meant Rousey and Zingano would get top billing instead.
Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole argued that this bout could be the tone-setter for the female division in mixed martial arts for years to come:
The Rousey-Zingano fight will attract a horde of celebrities who are coming out to watch what could be the match that, 10 years from now, 25 years from now, 50 years from now, is the one that all other women’s bouts are judged against.
Just as major boxing matches are measured by the standard of Muhammad Ali (31-0, 25 KOs) against Joe Frazier (26-0, 23 KOs) on March 8, 1971, it’s possible that future women’s MMA fights will be judged against Rousey-Zingano.
Given the level of skill for each fighter, there’s a good chance Rousey vs. Zingano could become something special.
The challenger enters with a perfect 9-0 record, with only one of those nine wins going the distance. She’s extremely strong and deadly on her feet. Rousey can’t afford to leave herself open like she has a few times in her previous fights, because one blow is all Zingano needs to turn the tide of a fight.
In addition, Zingano doesn’t tire as the fight goes on, as evidenced by the fact that three of her KO/TKO victories have come in the third round. The longer the bout goes, the more you might favor the challenger.
With that said, getting out of the first round won’t be easy.
Although everybody’s well aware of Rousey‘s dominant MMA record, it’s worth noting just how great she has been so far.
The only person in the world more skilled with the armbar submission might be Chris Jericho.
The best comparison one can make with Rousey is Mike Tyson when he was truly Iron Mike in the late 1980s. No professional athlete since then has had that same kind of aura of invincibility.
And people don’t exaggerate when they say that Tyson’s opponents looked defeated before the fight even began. Prior to Tyson knocking him out in the first round in 1988, Michael Spinks had the look of somebody seconds away from his own execution.
It was one of the few guys who didn’t fear Tyson that finally felled him.
Buster Douglas made no secret that his mother’s death 23 days before he was set to fight Tyson forced him to look at the grand scheme of things and put his title match into perspective.
Anthony Dominic of Columbus Monthly wrote a retrospective piece about that fight earlier this month. In the article, he called attention to the interview in the ring between Douglas and HBO’s Larry Merchant:
“Why did it happen, James?”
“’Cause I wanted it.”
“But why did you win this fight that nobody on this planet—”
“My mother. My mother. God bless her heart.”
After his mother’s passing, Douglas had nothing left to be afraid of in the ring. If Tyson beat him, then so what? That wouldn’t come close to the pain of losing a loved one.
“Fear was the champ’s weapon as much as his punching power and hand speed,” Dominic wrote. “But what did Douglas have to fear? The worst had already happened.”
Zingano has dealt with similar emotional pain in her life.
ESPN The Magazine‘s Allison Glock wrote an in-depth profile of the 32-year-old, chronicling how the death of her best friend in 2001 and husband’s suicide a little over a year ago impacted her outlook on everything. There was also the major knee injury in May 2013 that robbed Zingano a chance of facing Rousey and appearing on Season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter.
In short, Zingano has faced plenty of adversity.
At the end of Glock‘s article, she drew a parallel to her and Rousey‘s shared experiences, arriving at the conclusion that their past helped make them the fighters they are today:
“You know, her father committed suicide,” Zingano says, alluding to Rousey‘s loss at 8 years old, the same age as Brayden. Zingano glances at the horizon, gives her neck a sharp pop. “I remember when I heard that about her, thinking, ‘Damn, that’s why she’s so good. She made it through that.'” Her lips curl at the corners, the hint of a smile. “If you can survive what we have, what’s a fight?”
When people call Zingano potentially the toughest challenge of Rousey‘s career, it’s not merely promotional hyperbole.
Skill-wise, Zingano is talented enough to push Rousey past the first couple of rounds and potentially to the scorecards. Mentally, she won’t be afraid of the armbar or let Rousey‘s reputation affect her fight strategy. Nothing Rousey can do will compare to the difficulties Zingano has faced.
All of this will sound silly in the event Rousey wins yet again with a first-round submission, but don’t be surprised if Zingano remains in the fight through the late rounds before succumbing to the champion.
Anderson Silva and Nick Diaz are mere hours away from facing off in the Octagon at UFC 183, and fans are counting down the seconds until the main event.
Admittedly, this matchup would’ve been a lot more attractive a few years ago, but both fighters rem…
Anderson Silva and Nick Diaz are mere hours away from facing off in the Octagon at UFC 183, and fans are counting down the seconds until the main event.
Admittedly, this matchup would’ve been a lot more attractive a few years ago, but both fighters remain among the biggest names in UFC. The company didn’t need to do much in the way of promotion to build to this bout.
One of the minor subplots for this fight is Silva’s insistence that he won’t wear Reebok gear. UFC announced a partnership with the company in December, which means that all fighters will be mandated to don apparel exclusively from Reebok.
“I’ve always worn Nike, even before I had a contract with them,” he said. “Just because our ties are severed, it doesn’t mean I’ll stop wearing it. It feels true; it’s a brand with which I identify. It’s no use to sport a brand to which I have no relationship.”
Former UFC star Tim Sylvia stood in solidarity with Silva:
Reebok went on the charm offensive to try to turn the Brazilian around:
A minor problem arose when Diaz decided to skip out on an open workout that was scheduled earlier in the week:
UFC president Dana White defused the situation with his well-timed tweet:
Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer tried to connect all of the dots, figuring it was quite a coincidence that Diaz would go missing while the NFL is investigating the New England Patriots for potentially cheating in an NFL playoff game:
Diaz also provided some comedy when trying to explain how he was unable to get into contact with White to explain his condition, per Marc Raimondi of MMA Fighting:
It was a relatively innocuous story, and forgoing the public workout likely helped Diaz‘s pre-fight preparation. Who’s to argue with that kind of calculation on Diaz‘s part? If it’ll make for a better fight in the end, nobody’s going to complain.
Of course, the biggest question on everybody’s mind is whether Silva has much left in the tank. Nobody expects to see the “Spider” of old Saturday night. He’s 39 years old, coming off two losses and a major leg injury. Anybody, no matter how great they once were, can beat Father Time.
Diaz isn’t without red flags either, but he’s more than capable of ending the fight if Silva gives him an opportunity.
Sherdog’s Patrick Wyman tweeted that the only guarantee for UFC 183 is that it’ll be entertaining:
Quite a few are hitching themselves to the Silva bandwagon.
Former pro wrestling announcer Jim Ross picked Silva in what he believes will be a classic slobber-knocker:
Josh Gross is also firmly behind Silva but feels that thinking about the fight too much can be a bit disheartening:
Silva also received backing from the UFC light heavyweight champion himself, Jon Jones:
From top to bottom, the card for UFC 183 doesn’t have a massive volume of great matchups. That shortcoming should be more than compensated for by Diaz vs. Silva.
Both stars are coming in off somewhat major layoffs and with something to prove. They may not be what they once were, but they should have more than enough left to give fans a great main event.
Having failed to fell Chris Weidman in his last two fights, Anderson Silva will look to get back in the win column tonight against Nick Diaz. Diaz, meanwhile, is entering the Octagon after a nearly two-year absence.
UFC 183 should feature a great main …
Having failed to fell Chris Weidman in his last two fights, Anderson Silva will look to get back in the win column tonight against Nick Diaz. Diaz, meanwhile, is entering the Octagon after a nearly two-year absence.
UFC 183 should feature a great main event, which will include two stars who have major chips on their respective shoulders.
Neither Silva nor Diaz was shy about expressing his feelings about a variety of different issues in a public forum. They’ve both been pretty active in the days building up to the pay-per-view.
Fighter Comments
One of the biggest questions raised after the sponsorship deal between Reebok and UFC surrounded how certain fighters would respond. Plenty of top stars have established relationships with other companies, so the transition to Reebok gear was bound to be a bit rough early on.
I don’t like that idea. When you wear a brand, it needs to be true; there must be a connection. I don’t identify with Reebok at all.
I’ve always worn Nike, even before I had a contract with them. Just because our ties are severed, it doesn’t mean I’ll stop wearing it. It feels true; it’s a brand with which I identify. It’s no use to sport a brand to which I have no relationship.
Although Silva is one of UFC’s biggest stars, he’ll likely have to fall in line once all fighters are instructed to don Reebok in the summer. If any fighter does try to make a stand, though, Silva would be one of the best-positioned to do so.
Going back to the fight itself, one of the major storylines for UFC 183 is how Silva will respond after his last fight ended in such gruesome circumstances.
UFC fans won’t soon forget the image of Silva breaking his leg, and the former champion admitted that while he’s feeling good now, he was initially a little scared to get right back into the swing of things, per Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times:
“My leg’s good and I’m very excited for the fight. When I go walk to the octagon, it feels like the first time, like my first fight in the UFC.”
Silva said after returning home to Brazil from a lengthy Las Vegas hospital stay that included some physical therapy, he was frightened to test the leg in training.
“How’s your leg?” a coach asked him in Brazil.
“I don’t know,” Silva answered. “I’m scared for training.”
Silva said he saw his friends doing jumping drills and decided to give it a try.
The coach watched Silva’s jumping and pushed him: “Finish, go train, your leg [has] nothing more” to recover from.
It’s impossible to recreate a fight-like atmosphere in a training session. You wouldn’t expect Silva to hold anything back, but he might be a little hesitant early on as he gets used to the Octagon once again.
On the other side, Diaz has always been viewed as more of a heel, to use pro wrestling terminology. He’s very good at eliciting a reaction from the crowd, be it positive or negative—generally negative.
In an interview with Mark Emmons for UFC.com, Diaz spoke about his willingness to play the foil for more popular, well-received fighters.
“I’d rather not be portrayed as an evil villain, but if people want to make me out to be that, and it sells tickets, that’s fine,” he said. “But I do hope people understand that this is just what sells, and not what’s really me. I’m just a mixed-martial artist from Stockton, California. And I’m still here.”
Diaz didn’t ingratiate himself with UFC fans earlier in the week when he skipped out on an open workout:
To make amends, he offered a broad apology to both UFC and the fans on Thursday, per Fox Sports’ Elias Cepeda:
I apologize to all the fans. I didn’t really put too much thought into it. I was just focused on the fight.
I apologize to the UFC … kind of everybody not knowing what was going on with me. It really wasn’t a big deal. I’m going to do what I have to do, and then come and fight.
In the end, if missing out on a public training session put Diaz in a better position to win, few can argue with the strategy. Plus, it allowed UFC President Dana White to have some fun with the situation:
Prediction
Before his leg injury, Silva would’ve likely coasted to victory against Diaz. This matchup presents a style nightmare for Diaz, and his opponent is one of the greatest fighters ever to step into the Octagon.
Silva should be able to dictate the pace of the fight and remain in the middle of the cage. As long as he can remain off the fence, he’ll consistently keep Diaz at bay.
However, as Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden wrote, the Brazilian star has some doubts hovering over his ability going into tonight’s fight:
The truth is, the Anderson Silva we all picture in our heads is the 2008 wrecking machine, the guy who made Chris Leben and Forrest Griffin look like clowns. That guy doesn‘t exist anymore.
Today, Anderson Silva is just a guy trying to piece his shattered career, and his shattered leg, back together. He’s 39. His kids are running around UFC Embedded videos looking like full-grown men for God’s sake.
The gulf between the two is by no means insurmountable from Diaz‘s perspective. If he can tag Silva early with a big blow, this will be a completely different fight.
In the end, Silva should earn a hard-fought victory after the full distance. He’ll be a much lesser version of himself than fans came to expect during his prime, but he’ll still be good enough to topple Diaz.
Ronda Rousey needed all of 14 seconds to defend her UFC women’s bantamweight title and defeat Cat Zingano at UFC 184. Almost immediately after the opening bell rang, Rousey saw an opening and locked in her armbar. From there, Zingano had no choice but to tap.