Ronda Rousey didn’t get the memo.
At UFC 184, Cat Zingano was supposed to represent Rousey’s toughest task to date. A talented offensive mind whose best trait was perseverance and the ability to sustain a lengthy bout before a storybook comeback, Zingano was the one to test not only Rousey’s chin but also her conditioning.
Instead, Zingano fell into the trap of those before her and tapped 14 seconds after the opening bell.
As a whole, an underrated card put on quite the show Saturday night at Staples Center. As expected, some of the outcome’s biggest implications moving forward are noteworthy to review.
UFC 184 Results
Storylines to Watch
Cat Zingano’s Redemption Trail
For now, Zingano fades back to obscurity after a performance that makes her just another statistic—albeit a pretty historic one—smack in the middle of Rousey’s reign of terror.
The path back is easier than it seems, though.
Zingano can thank Rousey for that.
Rousey has now won 10 fights in the first round, and the average hardly hovers around four minutes at this point. She’s blown through the top names in the division, so Zingano is right to already be on the hunt for the No. 2 spot again, as captured by Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting:
Maybe that’s not entirely fair.
Zingano can also thank herself for her easy climb back to the top. Her heartbreaking out-of-Octagon story defines her in-Octagon approach, always on the rebound and overcoming the odds.
This is something UFC can build around so long as Zingano comes out strong in her next bout and wins. She’s the comeback kid who slipped up against Rousey (who doesn’t?) but can learn from the mistakes and give it a better go next time around.
The UFC hype machine is a beautiful, powerful thing that needs to go to work to keep the division interesting. So long as Zingano plays her part in her next fight, the door to the No. 2 slot and a rematch is wide open.
Ronda Rousey’s Next Step
Rousey has cleaned out a division—UFC’s 135-pound female division introduced in 2013—one that was mostly a byproduct of her immense popularity in the first place.
So what’s next?
Well, re-writing the record books seems to throw that sort of question for a loop:
“We were actually suspecting she might do something flying at me right away,” Rousey said, per ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto. “I’ve actually been working on that behind arm armbar. Not from that angle, but hey, it works.”
See, it pays to be prepared.
New blood is the name of the game if Rousey’s next fight is to put butts in seats. While she might be at the Floyd Mayweather point in which folks tune in just to see if she loses, it seems more unlikely than ever with most of the division demolished.
Cris “Cyborg” Justino is the first name many will point out. She just defended her title in all of 46 seconds at Invicta FC 11. Holly Holm is another name many will bring up, and despite a sloppy win against Raquel Pennington, the boxing legend will continue to be in the conversation—after all, UFC is all about deciding whether boxing or mixed martial arts is the dominant sport.
For her part, Rousey seemed to have a few other names in mind after Saturday’s triumph, as well:
Bethe Correia is undefeated, although Jessica Eye figures to remain in the conversation as well given a similar standing at the moment.
UFC can’t really go wrong with Rousey’s next fight so long as the booking surrounding other names builds another credible contender for further down the line. Justino is probably the best matchup and the name to most closely monitor, although looking ahead even further, Zingano will be back in the conversation soon.
Stats and info courtesy of UFC.com unless otherwise specified.
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