It was inevitable. After years of hearing women’s MMA was either too mundane or too shallow, it appears as though Ronda Rousey has finally made a believer out of UFC President Dana White.
White spoke to Sports Illustrated on Tuesday, and in doing so he revealed plans could potentially be in the works to create a UFC women’s division, with Rousey as its superstar.
“It’s absolutely going to happen,” White declared.
White has been slowly coming around to a women’s division for some time now, so this isn’t exactly surprising. Our own Ariel Helwani spoke to him on the subject last night and White essentially said it wasn’t breaking news and no progress has been made at the time of this writing. But regardless of any formalities, this is easily the most definitive statement we’ve heard on the topic, and White’s words couldn’t have been clearer.
“The point is I’m committed to this.”
6 MUST-READ STORIES
UFC women’s division ‘absolutely going to happen.’ Speaking to Sports Illustrated, UFC President Dana White said a UFC women’s division is “absolutely going to happen,” with Ronda Rousey as its featured attraction. White, who initially spurned the idea of a women’s division, added, “I’m committed to this.”
Dos Santos: Overeem, Sonnen title shots ‘out of order.’ UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos criticized recent decisions to award Alistair Overeem and Chael Sonnen immediate title shots, telling Brazilian radio, “It’s kind of out of order. Nowadays, the UFC is prioritizing those fights which will sell well.”
Sonnen fires back at Rampage. Days after Quinton “Rampage” Jackson accused Chael Sonnen of ruining the sport with his fighting style, Sonnen fired back on Twitter: “If I could understand a single word [Rampage] said about me I might be mildly offended. … Hard to hear [Rampage] all the way from the bottom of his pit of obscurity.”
Poirier switches camps. 23-year-old featherweight contender Dustin Poirier left his longtime coach and camp — Tim Credeur’s Gladiators Academy — to train full-time with American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla.
White delays surgery. Surgery to correct UFC President Dana White’s Meniere’s disease has been delayed until January 2013 due to scheduling complications.
Rutten, Harris named WSOF announcers. A pair of veteran cageside announcers, Bas Rutten and Todd Harris, have been assigned to the broadcast booth for World Series of Fighting’s inaugural event, which will air Nov. 3 on the NBC Sports Network.
MEDIA STEW
The most telling quote of yesterday’s Jason “Mayhem” Miller feature? “I’m smart enough to know how dumb I am.”
Today’s burning question: Was this Clay Guida at the Bears-Lions game, or just some really hairy guy?
Yeah, sure, Royce Gracie’s infamous triangle choke over Dan Severn took place at UFC 4. But that’s not the best highlight here. Keith Hackney vs. Joe Son. Watch it, love it, treasure it.
(HT: Reddit)
The latest from the Roots of Fight/Lancaster LTD network: Snoop Dogg on Muhammad Ali.
(HT: CagePotato)
“People argue back and forth who the greatest pound-for-pound fighter is in the world. Some people say it’s Anderson. Some people say it’s Georges St-Pierre. So … let’s see what happens.” — Anderson Silva’s manager, Ed Soares, conveniently leaving out a certain man who’s a little closer to Silva’s size.
MAYHEM
Back from the woods. Sorry about Patrick, @arielhelwani twitter.com/mayhemmiller/s…
— lucky patrick (@mayhemmiller) October 23, 2012
ALLOW ME TO RETORT
If I could understand a single word @rampage4real said about me I might be mildly offended.
— chael sonnen (@sonnench) October 24, 2012
Hard to hear @rampage4real all the way from the bottom of his pit of obscurity.
— chael sonnen (@sonnench) October 24, 2012
UNDERSTANDABLE FRUSTRATION
Wow 1 thing after another!!!
— Anthony Pettis (@Showtimepettis) October 23, 2012
To all the haters!! Shit happens I will pull thru and whoop cowgirls ass! I already beat the champ so y would I duck any1 else?#fb
— Anthony Pettis (@Showtimepettis) October 23, 2012
STILL GOING STRONG
Real Cool @bellatormma just ignore your fans like you do your fighters… We wanna be able to watch @zoilagurgel fight on TV she’s ur champ
— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) October 23, 2012
@bjornrebney Hystorically have u ever placed a champ whether defending the belt or not on the untelevised undercard in their home state?
— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) October 23, 2012
@bjornrebney your response is lame, her return is highly anticipated, you guys have a star in @zoilagurgel & clearly u are blind
— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) October 23, 2012
LOOKING LEAN AND MEAN
WHATS UP EVERYBODY!!!#fightforbailey twitter.com/bjpenndotcom/s…
— BJ PENN (@bjpenndotcom) October 23, 2012
PAY THE MAN
Thanks to all my sponsors who support me and always pay! Not like @kaiwaaoficial who still owe money to me and other fighter from UFC 148
— patrick cote (@patrick_cote) September 25, 2012
Once again @kaiwaaoficial didnt pay me and one other fighter for UFC 148 event !! First time in 10 years that one of my sponsors dont pay !
— patrick cote (@patrick_cote) September 22, 2012
So still no answer from @kaiwaaoficial !! F*cking liars !!! #ufc148sponsorshipmoney
— patrick cote (@patrick_cote) October 3, 2012
Hey @kaiwaaoficial. Are you gonna pay us or what ?? #ufc148money #answerus
— patrick cote (@patrick_cote) October 23, 2012
BTW still no news from @kaiwaaoficial about the money they owe me about UFC 148 ! No reply at all !! #shame
— patrick cote (@patrick_cote) October 16, 2012
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announced yesterday (Tuesday, October 23, 2012):
- TUF 16 Finale: Pat Barry (7-5) vs. Shane Del Rosario (11-1)
FANPOST OF THE DAY
Today’s Fanpost of the Day sees John S. Nash take us back with: Wrestling With The Past: The Man Of A Thousand Holds
Over the last century professionally wrestling has gone through many changes, but none were as radical as the transformation that followed the First World War. Before those first shots were fired on the Appel Quay in Sarajevo, wrestling was one of the première spectator sports of the Western World, it’s popularity on par with such stalwarts as boxing, baseball, and horse racing. Big matches, such as those involving champions Frank Gotch or George Hackenschmidt, drew massive crowds and garnered worldwide attention via newspapers and newsreels. But shortly after the Armistice that ended the Great War wrestling would no longer be a “sport”, as it metamorphosed into what later generations would term “sports entertainment”.
According to Marcus Griffin in his seminal muckraker “The Fall Guys: The Barnums of Bounce”, it was during the Roaring 20s that the terms “shooting”, “working”, “program”, and “heat’ first entered the wrestling promoter’s lexicon. It was also at this time that the slower, pure and undiluted grappling of the pre war years was replaced with the faster, more exciting “Slam Bang Western Style Wrestling.” These changes, according to Nat Fleischer of Ring Magazine, “altered the grappling game to the extent that no longer is it an art or a science, but one in which fisticuffs plays almost as much a part in deciding a winner as does actual wrestling.”
The final result was that legitimate, real professional wrestling ceased to exist. That’s not to say that the outcomes weren’t fixed in those earlier matches, for many – if not most – contests were probably entered with a predetermined outcome. But what was real was the actual wrestling and equally genuine was the skills of its competitors, something that could not be said of the body builders and gridiron heroes that made up future generations. Perhaps no one better symbolized this earlier era of real professional wrestling than the man many have called the last legitimate champion: Earl Caddock, “The Man of a Thousand Holds.”
Found something you’d like to see in the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we’ll include it in tomorrow’s column.