Author: Mike Chiari

Ronda Rousey Broken at UFC 193, According to Holly Holm’s Coach

With Ronda Rousey’s UFC future in question following consecutive losses, Holly Holm’s coach expressed his belief that the formerly dominant star is done with fighting. 
In an interview this week with Submission Radio (h/t MMA Fighting), Mike Winke…

With Ronda Rousey‘s UFC future in question following consecutive losses, Holly Holm’s coach expressed his belief that the formerly dominant star is done with fighting. 

In an interview this week with Submission Radio (h/t MMA Fighting), Mike Winkeljohn said he thought Rousey’s loss to Holm at UFC 193 in November 2015 carried over and contributed to her loss against Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 this past December:

I think Holly broke her [Rousey]. I think Ronda was on top of the world and Holly broke her, because when she came out for Amanda [Nunes] she just wasn’t the same fighter by any means. Not taking anything away from Amanda, but Ronda, she didn’t have anything, she just wasn’t there. She was just basically waiting for the end in essence once she couldn’t find a way to grab her. And she did the same thing she’s done before in the past, reaching out with her left arm and trying to corral. It was just a one-sided fight just like I said. I think she’s done.

Rousey was 12-0 and the holder of the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship prior to Holm shockingly knocking her out in the second round.

After more than a year away, Rousey returned to challenge Nunes, but the bout lasted just 48 seconds before she was knocked out again.

According to ESPN.com’s Ramona Shelburne, Rousey released the following statement in the wake of her loss to Nunes:

I want to say thank you to all of my fans who have been there for me in not only the greatest moments but in the most difficult ones. Words cannot convey how much your love and support means to me.

Returning to not just fighting, but winning, was my entire focus this past year. However, sometimes—even when you prepare and give everything you have and want something so badly—it doesn’t work how you planned. I take pride in seeing how far the women’s division has come in the UFC and commend all the other women who have been part of making this possible, including Amanda.

I need to take some time to reflect and think about the future. Thank you for believing in me and understanding.

Rousey has yet to make a decision on her future publicly, but UFC President Dana White said on the UFC Unfiltered podcast (h/t Sports Illustrated) Tuesday he believes she is “probably done” fighting.

The Olympic bronze medal-winning judoka undoubtedly lost her aura of invincibility against Holm, and she looked nothing like her former self in a listless performance against Nunes.

Rousey still has major name recognition and enough cachet to generate major pay-per-view buys for the UFC, but after experiencing success as an actor and writer, she has other options at her disposal if she opts to leave the Octagon for good.

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Ronda Rousey’s Future with UFC Commented on by Dana White on ‘UFC Unfiltered’

Following consecutive decisive losses, UFC President Dana White believes Ronda Rousey may never again step foot inside the Octagon. 
On the latest episode of UFC.com’s UFC Unfiltered (h/t Dann Stupp of MMAjunkie), White expressed his fee…

Following consecutive decisive losses, UFC President Dana White believes Ronda Rousey may never again step foot inside the Octagon. 

On the latest episode of UFC.com’s UFC Unfiltered (h/t Dann Stupp of MMAjunkie), White expressed his feeling that Rousey is leaning toward retirement: “In the conversation I had with her, if I had to say right here right now—again I don’t like saying right here right now because it’s up to her—but I would’t say she fights again. I think she’s probably done. … She’s going to ride off into the sunset and start living her life outside of fighting.”

White added that losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes may have made Rousey realize there is more to life than fighting: “She’s so competitive that her career and record meant everything to her. And then once she lost, she started to say to herself, ‘What the [expletive] am I doing? This is my whole life. This is it? I want to experience and start doing other things.’ And I think that’s what she started to do, and she’s got a lot of money. She’s never going to need money again.”

The 29-year-old was a perfect 12-0 before losing the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship to Holm via a second-round knockout at UFC 193 in 2015.

She returned in December 2016 after taking more than a year away from the sport, but the result was no better, as Nunes knocked her out in just 48 seconds at UFC 207.

Rousey has remained out of the spotlight since her latest loss aside from a statement provided to ESPN.com’s Ramona Shelburne:

I want to say thank you to all of my fans who have been there for me in not only the greatest moments but in the most difficult ones. Words cannot convey how much your love and support means to me.

Returning to not just fighting, but winning, was my entire focus this past year. However, sometimes—even when you prepare and give everything you have and want something so badly—it doesn’t work how you planned. I take pride in seeing how far the women’s division has come in the UFC and commend all the other women who have been part of making this possible, including Amanda.

I need to take some time to reflect and think about the future. Thank you for believing in me and understanding.

The former Olympic bronze medalist in judo put women’s mixed martial arts on the map, but the aura of invincibility that made her one of UFC’s top draws is gone.

Rousey enjoyed success outside the Octagon as an author and actor during her one-year absence, and there should be plenty more outside opportunities for her to pursue should she decide to step away from MMA for good.

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MMA Fighter Roshaun Jones Arrested: Latest Details, Mugshot, Reaction

Professional MMA fighter Roshaun Jones was arrested Friday on suspicion of killing two people at an Oklahoma laundromat.
According to TMZ, two people were shot and killed in the incident, which is believed to be a botched robbery.
Breaking911 provided …

Professional MMA fighter Roshaun Jones was arrested Friday on suspicion of killing two people at an Oklahoma laundromat.

According to TMZ, two people were shot and killed in the incident, which is believed to be a botched robbery.

Breaking911 provided a look at Jones’ mugshot, via TMZ:

The 33-year-old Jones has a 2-6 career record and last fought Jeremiah Castillo in a losing effort in November.  

Jones’ most notable bout was a first-round defeat to Klayton Mai as part of Bellator 146 in November 2015.

According to KFOR.com, the incident occurred on Jan. 23, and surveillance footage led police to arrest the Oklahoma City native, although the investigation is still ongoing. 

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Anderson Silva vs. Derek Brunson Announced for UFC 208

UFC President Dana White announced Friday that Anderson Silva will face Derek Brunson at UFC 208.
He revealed the bout with the following tweet:

UFC 208 will take place Feb. 11 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and is scheduled to be headl…

UFC President Dana White announced Friday that Anderson Silva will face Derek Brunson at UFC 208.

He revealed the bout with the following tweet:

UFC 208 will take place Feb. 11 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and is scheduled to be headlined by a fight between Holly Holm and Germaine de Randamie.

The 41-year-old Silva is an MMA legend with a career record of 33-8. He is a former UFC middleweight champion who won 17 consecutive fights from 2006 until 2013.

The Spider’s results have faltered since then, as he is 0-4 with one no-contest in his past five outings, including a unanimous-decision loss to Daniel Cormier at UFC 200 in July.

Brunson is a 33-year-old native of North Carolina who boasts a professional record of 16-4.

While he lost his most recent fight to Robert Whittaker at UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Brunson in November, he was on a five-fight winning streak prior to that.

Although Silva and Brunson appear to be heading in different directions with regard to success, Simon Head of The Brit Pack envisions it being a potentially exciting contest:

Silva is undoubtedly an all-time great, but as the losses continue to mount, it becomes more likely that the end of his career is closing in.

His clash with Brunson could conceivably be one of his final fights, and that possibility alone could aid in driving pay-per-view buys for UFC.

       

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

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Dana White Responds to Meryl Streep’s 2017 Golden Globes Speech

Following actress Meryl Streep’s impassioned speech at the Golden Globes on Sunday night, which included a dig at mixed martial arts, UFC President Dana White responded. 
As seen in the following video, courtesy of TMZ Sports, White wasn’t pleased…

Following actress Meryl Streep’s impassioned speech at the Golden Globes on Sunday night, which included a dig at mixed martial arts, UFC President Dana White responded. 

As seen in the following video, courtesy of TMZ Sports, White wasn’t pleased with Streep’s comments:

Streep expressed dismay with President-elect Donald Trump and said the following regarding the possibility of illegal immigrants being deported once he assumes the presidency, per MMAFighting.com: “So Hollywood is crawling with outsiders and foreigners. And if we kick them all out you’ll have nothing to watch but football and mixed martial arts, which are not the arts.”

White called Streep an “uppity 80-year-old lady,” and he characterized her views on MMA as “stupid” and “uneducated.”

White took a different approach than Bellator MMA President Scott Coker, who instead invited the actress to Bellator 170:

The UFC president is also a noted supporter of Trump, as he spoke on behalf of the soon-to-be president of the United States at the Republican National Convention.

Although MMA isn’t Streep’s cup of tea, White is in the midst of a hugely successful run, as UFC 207 recently pulled in 1.1 million pay-per-view buys.

     

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

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Ronda Rousey’s Mom Comments on Star’s Potential Retirement After UFC 207 Loss

Following Ronda Rousey’s stunning 48-second loss to Amanda Nunes in Las Vegas at UFC 207 on Friday night, Rousey’s mother, AnnMaria De Mars, expressed hope her daughter would consider retirement.
As seen in this video courtesy of TMZ Sports,&…

Following Ronda Rousey‘s stunning 48-second loss to Amanda Nunes in Las Vegas at UFC 207 on Friday night, Rousey’s mother, AnnMaria De Mars, expressed hope her daughter would consider retirement.

As seen in this video courtesy of TMZ Sports, De Mars cautioned against making any “snap decisions” but said she would like to see Rousey retire and wanted her to do so “a long time ago”:

De Mars, who is a former judo champion, said she told Rousey to “let the stupid people get punched in the face” because of her daughter’s intelligence and talent in other areas.

Rousey began her career 12-0 and was the first UFC women’s bantamweight champion, but after dropping the title to Holly Holm at UFC 193 in November 2015, she took a yearlong hiatus from the Octagon and pursued acting.

The defeat to Nunes marked her second consecutive loss, and while Rousey has yet to comment on her future, retirement speculation has been buzzing.

When asked about her status, UFC President Dana White was unsure if she would fight again, according to ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto: “I don’t know. Ronda obviously needs to go home and take some time. She’s very rich. She doesn’t need to fight anymore. She’s super competitive. Maybe she wants to; I don’t know. We’ll see what happens.”

Rousey told Ellen DeGeneres on Ellen in November (h/t Jason Diamond of Rolling Stone) that the Nunes bout would be one of her last fights, and it stands to reason that the loss could have accelerated the process.

Should Rousey opt to step away from the sport, she has plenty of other options, including acting, writing and perhaps professional wrestling with WWE.

Rousey has been paramount in putting women’s MMA on the map, but with her counterparts seemingly closing the significant gap she once created between herself and the rest of the division, her time in the UFC may be winding down.

    

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.  

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