Ronda Rousey is a star. This we know. But it does not get any bigger in pop culture than Beyonce.
During Beyonce’s set at the Budweiser Made In America festival on Saturday, the cultural icon played Rousey’s now famous “Do Nothing B—h” cl…
Ronda Rousey is a star. This we know. But it does not get any bigger in pop culture than Beyonce.
During Beyonce’s set at the Budweiser Made In America festival on Saturday, the cultural icon played Rousey’s now famous “Do Nothing B—h” clip before performing “Diva.” (Warning: NSFW language)
Being included in Beyonce’s set truly puts a stamp on Rousey’s crossover appeal. And it did not go unnoticed. UFC President Dana White was quick to post the video of the intro to his Twitter feed. It is a big win for Rousey and the UFC.
The quote came via the UFC’s popular Embedded video series before her fight against Bethe Correia in Brazil. Rousey responded to critics of her body saying that her body is not masculine, but “femininely badass.” The current queen of pop music obviously took notice of the body positive quote to include it in her set.
Rousey’s comment in a YouTube video series has launched a campaign to promote healthy body image. Rousey sold more than 50,000 t-shirts in the wake of the comment, and now her quote is appearing on the stage of one of the biggest music acts today. It is a transcendent moment for the bantamweight champion, and just simply a cool moment for the sport of MMA.
This remarkable video is just confirmation that Rousey is bigger than the sport.
UFC 191 gave us yet another brilliant performance from Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson.
The flyweight champion stood across from the only man to truly threaten his title reign—John Dodson. In their first fight, Dodson dropped him and nearly cam…
UFC 191 gave us yet another brilliant performance from Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson.
The flyweight champion stood across from the only man to truly threaten his title reign—John Dodson. In their first fight, Dodson dropped him and nearly came away with the belt, but the champion showed his resolve in hanging tough to win a decision.
On Saturday, it wasn’t close. Johnson schooled Dodson. Mighty Mouse was never in any danger, and the flyweight challenger had no answers for the speed and pressure of the champion.
In the co-main event, Andrei Arlovski kept his winning streak intact by nabbing a decision over Frank Mir. The fight wasn’t much to write home about, but the two former champions competed for 15 minutes, leaving one in title contention.
Nine other bouts filled out the card, but who came out as the real winners and losers? That is what we will take a look at following the action from Las Vegas at UFC 191.
Demetrious Johnson defended his UFC Flyweight Championship against John Dodson at UFC 191 in another technical masterpiece.
Mighty Mouse was never in any danger in this fight and showed he is the best flyweight on Earth. Dodson was never a factor in th…
Demetrious Johnson defended his UFC Flyweight Championship against John Dodson at UFC 191 in another technical masterpiece.
Mighty Mouse was never in any danger in this fight and showed he is the best flyweight on Earth. Dodson was never a factor in this fight. The only thing he got to showcase was his defensive wrestling. Other than that, he was just a warm body in front of Johnson.
It was another stellar performance from Johnson, who won via unanimous decision, but it’s a shame it wasn’t competitive. This is what we learned after another five rounds of technical greatness.
And still…
What We’ll Remember About the Fight
I hate to say this after another masterful performance by the flyweight champion, but nothing was memorable in this fight. That’s just the fact of the matter.
We will ultimately forget these two performances. We will only remember that Johnson won.
What We Learned About Dodson
Dodson was competitive in the first fight in January 2013 and almost walked away with the gold. We learned Saturday night that his time as a threat to Johnson has passed. Johnson has evolved past Dodson. There was nothing Dodson did to even remotely threaten the champ.
It was a classic performance that said, “I just do not want to be finished.”
Dodson is a great fighter, but he is not on Johnson’s level.
What We Learned About Johnson
I’m not positive that we learned it for the first time at UFC 191, but the showing confirmed Johnson is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.
Nearly everything he does is just picture-perfect. From a technical point of view, it’s fascinating to watch. Mighty Mouse is a case study of what high-level mixed martial arts looks like.
What’s Next for Dodson
After this domination, he will need several fights before challenging again. He needs to reset. The winner of September’s Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Chico Camus fight makes a lot of sense.
After losing to the champ in April, Horiguchi is in the same position as Dodson, and if Camus upsets Horiguchi, Camus will need a stiffer test, which Dodson represents. Either matchup makes sense for all fighters involved for where they stand in the division.
What’s Next for Johnson
It won’t be Henry Cejudo yet, but that’s the next fight for Johnson with legitimate intrigue.
The other contenders—Joseph Benavidez, Jussier Formiga and Ian McCall—are not interesting at this point. Johnson is simply better than them all and has proved it. Cejudo’s Olympic-caliber wrestling and big power make him a compelling test for Johnson. Until that fight happens, there isn’t a flyweight title tilt that piques our interest.
Paige VanZant continued her upward trend in the UFC with a third-round submission over Alex Chambers at UFC 191 on Saturday.
This bout seemed like a showcase fight from the moment it was booked, and there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, it was sma…
Paige VanZant continued her upward trend in the UFC with a third-round submission over Alex Chambers at UFC 191 on Saturday.
This bout seemed like a showcase fight from the moment it was booked, and there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, it was smart booking. VanZant is young (21) and needs a lot of improvement, and these fights help her achieve her potential while introducing her to a large audience.
Chambers landed some solid strikes in the clinch early but faded throughout the fight. VanZant was constantly attached to her in the clinch, landing shot after shot. Eventually, it was too much. Another win for VanZant puts pressure on the UFC to book her in a top-tier bout.
What We’ll Remember About the Fight
Pressure. Constant pressure.
VanZant constantly moved forward and put the pressure on Chambers. The Australian just could not handle it. VanZant did not do huge damage, but the totality of her offense eventually caught up to Astro Girl. The 21-year-old’s constant pressure was the difference.
What We Learned About VanZant
We learned that while she is a top-10 fighter in the UFC’s strawweight division, she is still a long way off from the top.
She has clear deficiencies in her game. Perhaps the biggest is that she doesn’t move her head off the center line. That is going to be a big issue against several of the folks ahead of her in the rankings. Skilled strikers such as Michelle Waterson will have greater success on the feet, and champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk would demolish her existence.
What We Learned About Chambers
I have been a harsh critic of Chambers. I have felt like she is a middling atomweight in the UFC’s strawweight division merely because of her appearance on The Ultimate Fighter. And that may still be true, but in her last two fights, she has shown good improvement as an all-around fighter.
She caught Kailin Curran in an armbar in a fun fight in May, and at UFC 191 she found success in the clinch against VanZant. She connected on several punches against her opponent early. She just couldn’t handle the pressure and eventually wilted.
What’s Next for VanZant
This has to be an excruciating decision for the UFC. It clearly has a lot invested in VanZant, and she clearly isn’t ready for anyone in the upper echelon. Yet, here she is with a four-fight win streak and in the top 10. She has to fight someone ranked.
The best choice may be Joanne Calderwood.
She has underperformed in the UFC and is ultimately one-dimensional. Stylistically, it is a good fight to test both women and one that VanZant could win in grinding fashion. It would avoid a mauling by someone in the top five while building the winner into a future contender.
What’s Next for Chambers
There is another atomweight in the UFC who is coming off a loss, and that’s Seo Hee Ham (who lost to Calderwood in December 2014). It would be another tough fight for Chambers but one where she is on par with her opponent in terms of size.
The week of fight announcements started a little slow but certainly picked up steam in the last 24 hours. The UFC has been strengthening its pay-per-view cards to close out 2015, and the final few months of action should make 2015 one of the best on re…
The week of fight announcements started a little slow but certainly picked up steam in the last 24 hours. The UFC has been strengthening its pay-per-view cards to close out 2015, and the final few months of action should make 2015 one of the best on record.
What has been booked this week? Let’s view the upcoming slate of bouts from the UFC.
UFC Fight Night 76, October 24
Neil Seery vs. Jon Delos Reyes
The inclusion of Seery to this fight card makes a lot of sense. He is Irish, and the sell-out crowd in Dublin will be behind him completely. Seery is coming off a loss and is 2-2 in his last four outings, and Reyes is 1-2 in the UFC but coming off a victory. It should be a nice scrap for the undercard in Dublin.
UFC 193, November 15
Richie Vaculik vs. Danny Martinez
Ben Nguyen vs. Ryan Benoit
Fox Sports in Australia broke the news of two more fights to the UFC 193 undercard midweek. Richie Vaculik and Danny Martinez square off, and Ben Nguyen meets Ryan Benoit. Both matchups take place in the flyweight division.
This is a great way to continue to add depth to the 125-pound division, and Nguyen vs. Benoit should have some importance following Benoit’s victory over Sergio Pettis at UFC 185. UFC 193 is steadily adding quality bouts to fill out its fight card.
UFC Fight Night 79, November 28
Ning Guangyou vs. Marco Beltran
Mike De La Torre vs. Nam Yui Chul
Fredy Serrano vs. Yao Zhikui
Doo Ho Choi vs. Sam Sicilia
The UFC’s debut in South Korea continues to see an influx of Asian talent added to its card. The Korea Times reported three of the added bouts that will help fill out the undercard. However, the most notable fight added to this fight card is Doo Ho Choi vs. Sam Sicilia.
This will be the third time this fight has been booked by the UFC. Sicilia has won back-to-back fights, and Choi has won 10 straight. Choi has not competed in the Octagon since 2014 when he stopped Juan Manuel Puig. Should the two finally step inside the cage opposite one another, this could be a sleeper for Fight of the Night.
UFC 194, December 12
Michelle Waterson vs. Tecia Torres
Max Holloway vs. Jeremy Stephens
Frankie Saenz vs. Urijah Faber
Demian Maia vs. Gunnar Nelson
No card has gotten deeper than UFC 194. The UFC began the week by announcing Michelle Waterson vs. Tecia Torres in what could be a potential title eliminator.
UFC 194 is a stacked event that will be a must watch from the Fight Pass prelims to the Fox Sports 1 prelims and to the PPV card. It is everything a fight fan could want in a card. Following the Waterson-Torres news, the UFC added two more great fights. Max Holloway vs. Jeremy Stephens should be highly entertaining, and Frankie Saenz has a golden opportunity against Urijah Faber.
Perhaps the best fight made was Demian Maia vs. Gunnar Nelson. The two jiu-jitsu aces are well matched for one another, and both are looking to break through into the welterweight title picture. An impressive performance this December could move them into such a position. The fights made for UFC 194 this week were simply spectacular.
UFC on Fox 17, December 19
Cole Miller vs. Jim Alers
Orlando, Florida, will be treated to a fun featherweight tilt when Cole Miller meets Jim Alers. Alers is coming off a knockout loss to Chas Skelly in February, and Miller dropped a decision to Max Holloway on that same card.
UFC 195, January 2
Carlos Condit vs. Robbie Lawler
After having to be pulled from UFC 193, the welterweight title fight has a new date. Robbie Lawler defends his title against Carlos Condit right after we ring in 2016.
This has all the makings to be an all-time classic title fight. Two highly aggressive and intelligent fighters who love to throw down. The welterweight title fight could be one of the most anticipated title fights in recent memory just based off of the stylistic matchup alone. I suspect most will have this fight highlighted on their calendars.
UFC 191 is upon us, but before the bell rings on Saturday, all 22 competing athletes must hit the scales on Friday.
In the main event, Demetrious Johnson defends his flyweight title against John Dodson for the second time. Dodson was Johnson’s opponent…
UFC 191 is upon us, but before the bell rings on Saturday, all 22 competing athletes must hit the scales on Friday.
In the main event, Demetrious Johnson defends his flyweight title against John Dodson for the second time. Dodson was Johnson’s opponent for his first title defense, and it was an interesting fight. Dodson knocked the champion down and missed the chance to finish the fight in the second round. Johnson rebounded and started to pull away for a unanimous-decision victory.
Heavyweight veterans Andrei Arlovski and Frank Mir will try to state their respective cases for a title shot in the co-main event. Mir has won back-to-back fights, while Arlovski has won five straight contests. In the shallow heavyweight division, a win at UFC 191 should put one of them in position to contend.
Nine other bouts help fill out the card, and Bleacher Report will have full coverage of the weigh-in proceedings at 7 p.m. ET. Come back later tonight for all the updates.
Ronda Rousey is a star. This we know. But it does not get any bigger in pop culture than Beyonce.