Ronda Rousey seeks to continue her tremendous run of dominance as she puts the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship on the line against unbeaten challenger Cat Zingano. The fight will serve as the main event of the UFC 184 card on Saturday night.
Rousey last defended the belt back in July. She probably broke more of a sweat warming up for the bout than she did once the bell rung as she finished Alexis Davis in just 16 seconds. Zingano figures to provide far more resistance.
The fight will cap a solid card that also includes Raquel Pennington taking on Holly Holm and Jake Ellenberger battling Josh Koscheck. So let’s check out all of the important details for the main card, followed by a closer look at the top attraction.
Main Card Details
Where: Staples Center in Los Angeles, California
When: Saturday, Feb. 28 at 10 p.m. ET
Watch: Pay-per-view
Rousey vs. Zingano Preview
Rousey has become a mainstream attraction for UFC. People want to see how quickly she can dismantle an opponent or, on the flip side, witness when she finally gets challenged. At the very least, Zingano represents her toughest test so far.
The challenger is coming off a pair of impressive knockout victories over Miesha Tate and Amanda Nunes to earn the title shot. Since nobody has really pushed Rousey, it’s hard to know exactly how much better she’ll need to fight to have a chance on Saturday.
The champion has won nine of her 10 career fights in the first round. Tate was the only opponent to survive beyond that point, which could be a good sign for Zingano.
Facing Rousey is more than the physical test, though. It’s a mental test as well because of the ease with which she has taken care of every prior opponent. Every game plan used against her has been destroyed, normally within a matter of seconds.
Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports passed along comments from the dominant champ, who explained why she’s so aggressive in the cage:
I go out there to win and I’m satisfied by a win. But I was taught by my mother when I was doing judo growing up to consider any time I went to the judges a loss. That’s allowing a fight to get outside of your control, and so if you put the [outcome] in somebody else’s hands, you probably deserve to lose.
Zingano feels ready, though. Elias Cepeda of Fox Sports provided her remarks about entering a real comfort zone with her fighting style:
This fight is a little different. I feel like I have things together more than the past two fights. I’m more confident and in a better situation. There’s been a lot of progression that has gone on. I feel like I am able to tap in to who I was leading into becoming.
So the question is whether the underdog is going to push Rousey further than anybody else. Andreas Georgiou of MMA Plus is bullish about Zingano’s chances:
The biggest key for Zingano is coming out strong in the opening round. Too many opponents are worried about all of Rousey’s various weapons, causing them to become overly defensive. She powers through that with ease.
To make it an entertaining bout, “Alpha” needs to use her striking ability.
The longer she is able to keep the fight in neutral and off the mat, the better her chances. Land a few shots then back off before Rousey is able to counter, opening the door for grappling and eventually down to the mat for the armbar.
Of course, that’s much easier said than done. Every fighter who’s received a shot at Rousey has probably had a similar idea in their head. But once the fight starts and she comes out flying, it’s hard to maintain composure and stick to it.
While Zingano might find a way to survive the first round, Rousey should force a submission before the end of the second to retain the title.
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