The conversation about the most impressive performances Saturday night has to begin with Ronda Rousey. It took the UFC women’s bantamweight champion just 14 seconds to submit Cat Zingano in the UFC 184 main event.
Zingano was supposed to represent the toughest test for Rousey to date. I guess the champ didn’t get the memo. After side-stepping Zingano‘s amateurish attempt at a running knee in the first two seconds of the fight, Rousey took Zingano down and quickly forced her to submit to her patented armbar.
When an entire fight could fit in an Instagram video, that’s pretty insane.
Afterwards, there was joy from the winner, per ESPN, and ‘cussin from the loser, per MMA Fighting.
Back in the locker room, only winners get to talk to Fish Mooney (aka Jada Pinkett Smith):
Though all other performances from Saturday paled in comparison, here are two winners who deserve to be recognized.
Tony Ferguson
Tony Ferguson didn’t just beat Gleison Tibau; he dismantled him with violent concision. In the very first round, Ferguson used his length advantage to sting the UFC veteran with strikes. Tibau was dazed, and Ferguson wasted no time taking control of the situation.
He pounced on him, took his back and sunk in a rear-naked choke to earn the biggest victory of his career.
Ferguson came in unranked amongst welterweights, but that should change soon—at least it will if Fox Sports’ Damon Martin and I have our way.
Ferguson has won five fights in a row, and the win over Tibau should gain him some much-deserved attention.
Alan Jouban
He may be a prospective model, but no one can call him soft. On Saturday, he showed his striking prowess when he landed a vicious elbow to the side of Richard Walsh’s head.
The shot took Walsh’s legs from under him and led to the stoppage win for Jouban.
The fight was supposed to be a tough one for Jouban, and Walsh came in with some decent credentials as a striker. After the two exchanged some kicks to the body early on, Jouban forced the fight to the cage and made quick work of his opponent in the first round. He’s one to watch in the welterweight division as well.
Perhaps he and Ferguson could fight next.
Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.
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