Tag: Bantamweight

Amanda Nunes vs Ronda Rousey: 5 Things To Keep An Eye On

Ronda Rousey has been a ghost for the past thirteen months since her defeat at the hands of Holly Holm. Since then it’s been radio silence on the “Rowdy” front and as such fans have been waiting with baited breath to see how Rousey would rebound from her first loss. The sad part about Ronda’s big comeback party is that she’ll have to lock horns with current women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes. Usually, a breakdown would follow this introductory paragraph, but you have to shake things up now and again. So instead, here’s five points of interest to watch out for in the UFC 207 main event.

The post Amanda Nunes vs Ronda Rousey: 5 Things To Keep An Eye On appeared first on Cagepotato.

Ronda Rousey has been a ghost for the past thirteen months since her defeat at the hands of Holly Holm. Since then it’s been radio silence on the “Rowdy” front and as such fans have been waiting with baited breath to see how Rousey would rebound from her first loss. The sad part about Ronda’s big comeback party is that she’ll have to lock horns with current women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes. Usually, a breakdown would follow this introductory paragraph, but you have to shake things up now and again. So instead, here’s five points of interest to watch out for in the UFC 207 main event.

1. The Same Coaching Staff

So, Ronda Rousey has stuck with the same coaching staff following her last bout at UFC 193. While her loyalty may be commendable, one has to wonder if it’s truly the smartest move. The biggest takeaway from the fight besides Rousey’s first defeat was the lack of valuable information in the corner between rounds. Edmond Tarverdyan may be able to teach boxing with adequate results, but at this level of the game cornering a pro fighter should be more nuanced. The biggest issue with his coaching was that he failed to offer his fighter new adjustments between rounds. Rousey was dominated for the first time in her career and when she returned to her corner, no valuable strategies were awaiting her. Some fighters need a pep talk between rounds, that’s true. But in the heat of competition words of encouragement won’t cut it. If Ronda faces adversity at UFC 207, Tarverdyan better be prepared to give his fighter tangible advice.

2. Any New Techniques?

If Ronda Rousey hopes to be champion again come Friday then she’ll need to show some new wrinkles to her game. Rather than just throwing punches in bunches and looking for a hip toss, kicks of all variety should be on the table if she wants to be successful. Throwing a fighter off their game, making them uncomfortable, that’s the key to grasping victory.

Also, what new goodies does Nunes have cooked up? We could just be scratching the surface of the champion’s skills. Don’t be surprised if Nunes starts throwing wheel kicks out there, especially considering her traditional martial arts background. As we all know anything can happen in an MMA match.

3. Ring/Cage Rust

Rousey’s been gone for a minute while Nunes has been collecting scalps and cutting checks. That time away could have either hurt Ronda or sent her game to a new level. This fight could easily come down to activity versus stagnation.

4. The Difference In Striking

I mentioned striking before, but this is truly the field in which both fighters will need to keep their eyes open. Ronda can’t afford to bull rush and hope to connect a good shot on the champ’s chin. Nunes will also need to be cognizant of the same thing. She can’t afford to blink or get flustered by Rousey’s pressure game. Ronda will need to show patience (and feints for Gods sake) to close distance while Nunes will need to keep the former champ on the outside and at the end of her strikes.

5. Who’s The Better Grappler?

Once the fight hits the mat things are sure to get interesting. Both women come from a judo background and both have strong ground games, albeit in different ways. Nunes has impressive top control and is extremely violent when she’s in that position. Ronda hunts for submissions the moment the fight gets to the ground. It’ll be a positional battle with Nunes having to avoid consistent submission attempts while Ronda avoids being brained by the champion.

So, who do you got in the UFC 207 main event?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

The post Amanda Nunes vs Ronda Rousey: 5 Things To Keep An Eye On appeared first on Cagepotato.

Ronda Rousey Storms Off Stage After Early Weigh Ins.

The post Ronda Rousey Storms Off Stage After Early Weigh Ins. appeared first on Cagepotato.

All Business

Ronda Rousey has made a point to avoid the media storm for her first fight back against Amanda Nunes on Friday at UFC 207, and the official weigh ins were no different.

She showed up in amazing condition, as most people expected her to, and hit 135 on the nose. She was the first to weigh in and when she was done she stormed off the scale with no time for pictures and answering no questions from media. When they asked her to come back out she simply refused.

The real question here is she just so focused that she can only think about the fight? Or is she so emotionally damaged that any negativity could break the camel’s back?

Only time will tell but if there’s one thing that’s for sure she’ll have to go from 0 to 60 tomorrow night.

Hit us up in the comments section below and let us know what you think about Ronda Rousey’s new no-nonsense attitude.

The post Ronda Rousey Storms Off Stage After Early Weigh Ins. appeared first on Cagepotato.

UFC 207 Picks: This Is The Only Way Cody Garbrandt Can Beat Dominick Cruz

UFC 207 is quickly approaching and I for one can’t wait. While the card has its fair share of standout matches, the co-main event is certainly one the fans should keep their eyes on as Cody Garbrandt bids for the bantamweight title again champ Dominick Cruz. The trash talk has been colorful even finding its way onto social media. Both men have been trading jabs, Cruz arguably getting the better of Garbrandt in the exchanges, and now they’ll trade their virtual punches for some legitimate action on Friday night.

The post UFC 207 Picks: This Is The Only Way Cody Garbrandt Can Beat Dominick Cruz appeared first on Cagepotato.

UFC 207 is quickly approaching and I for one can’t wait. While the card has its fair share of standout matches, the co-main event is certainly one the fans should keep their eyes on as Cody Garbrandt bids for the bantamweight title again champ Dominick Cruz. The trash talk has been colorful even finding its way onto social media. Both men have been trading jabs, Cruz arguably getting the better of Garbrandt in the exchanges, and now they’ll trade their virtual punches for some legitimate action on Friday night.

Since coming back from injury earlier this year, Dominick Cruz has looked nothing short of phenomenal in his victories over TJ Dillashaw and Urijah Faber. In the Dillashaw match we saw Cruz dominate most of the match until facing a bit of adversity in the final two rounds. Still, his head movement, solid and unpredictable takedowns and striking led him to victory. The performance against Faber showed that Cruz not only has legit power in his strikes, but has improved his distancing game. The sequence in which he allowed Faber to close the distance in order to land a left overhand from the southpaw Stance shows that Cruz’s understanding of distance has sharpened. Against Garbrandt he faces a young Up and comer who has legitimate power in his hands. Cruz will likely employ his usual game plan of moving on the outside and making Garbrandt miss. More than likely we’ll be seeing more leg kicks out of the champ as well as some well timed takedowns as he is want to do against opponents who favor a boxing heavy attack.

For Cody Garbrandt the match up is far more complicated. Garbrandt’s striking is certainly clean, technical, and traditional. Which is exactly the problem. If he hopes to take out Cruz, Garbrandt will have to embrace a kicking game as well as avoid headhunting. Where fighters always seem to go wrong with facing Cruz is constantly aim to land a shot on his chin. Garbrandt should start at the legs and body then begin to work his way up to his head. He’s primarily a boxer which is ultimately going to hurt his chances if he looks to land leather rather than focus on his full arsenal of skills. Garbrandt also has a tendency to launch forward without throwing feints or strikes which could leave him open to strikes and takedowns. Garbrandt has a punchers chance, but if he utilizes his kicks and his wrestling he can at least surprise the champ and keep him guessing.

It’s almost as if in order to defeat Dominick Cruz you have to come into the fight as a completely different fighter each and every round. There are only a few fighters with that kind of capability and one of them happens to be Dominick Cruz. While many think this one goes to decision, a finish wouldn’t be surprising. The pick is Dominick Cruz by stoppage in the third round.

Do you think Cody Garbrandt has a chance?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

 

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UFC Women’s Bantamweight Leslie Smith Beats Up Male Groper at California Club

One would hope that this will one day go without saying, but there are all sorts of reasons why groping someone you don’t know is not a very strong play. For male nightclub patrons in the San Francisco area, Leslie Smith just added another reason. That reason is Leslie Smith. The UFC women’s bantamweight brought […]

One would hope that this will one day go without saying, but there are all sorts of reasons why groping someone you don’t know is not a very strong play. For male nightclub patrons in the San Francisco area, Leslie Smith just added another reason. That reason is Leslie Smith. The UFC women’s bantamweight brought […]

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UFC Women’s Bantamweight Leslie Smith Beats Up Male Groper at California Bar

One would hope that this would go without saying, but there are all sorts of reasons why groping someone you don’t know is not a strong play. For male nightclub patrons in the San Francisco area, Leslie Smith just added another reason. That reason is Leslie Smith. The UFC women’s bantamweight brought the hammer down […]

One would hope that this would go without saying, but there are all sorts of reasons why groping someone you don’t know is not a strong play. For male nightclub patrons in the San Francisco area, Leslie Smith just added another reason. That reason is Leslie Smith. The UFC women’s bantamweight brought the hammer down […]

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UFC on Fox 16 Adds Bantamweight Contenders Eddie Wineland and Bryan Caraway

More than 14 months after his most recent appearance, an upset knockout loss to Johnny Eduardo, Eddie Wineland will return to the Octagon opposite Bryan Caraway. MMA Fighting reported the bantamweight matchup on Friday. Wineland‘s stunning defeat against Eduardo was deflating. However, only two bouts removed from a 135-pound championship bout against Renan Barao, he still […]

More than 14 months after his most recent appearance, an upset knockout loss to Johnny Eduardo, Eddie Wineland will return to the Octagon opposite Bryan Caraway. MMA Fighting reported the bantamweight matchup on Friday. Wineland‘s stunning defeat against Eduardo was deflating. However, only two bouts removed from a 135-pound championship bout against Renan Barao, he still […]

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