2016. What a year it has been for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
On Friday night, UFC wrote the final chapter in their book of 2016, with their final event of the year — UFC 207: Nunes vs. Rousey, which took pla…
https://youtu.be/T2UW6XKvxeE
2016. What a year it has been for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
On Friday night, UFC wrote the final chapter in their book of 2016, with their final event of the year — UFC 207: Nunes vs. Rousey, which took place live on Friday night from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Featured above is the complete segment from the official UFC 207 Post-Fight Show on FOX Sports 1 on Friday night that features an interview with UFC President Dana White.
Watch the above video to find out what the UFC boss man thought of UFC’s final pay-per-view offering of 2016, including his comments on how Ronda Rousey handled her second taste of defeat inside the Octagon to reigning UFC Women’s Bantamweight queen, Amanda Nunes.
For complete round-by-round results of Friday night’s pay-per-view, read our detailed report here: UFC 207: Nunes vs. Rousey Results
Ronda Rousey is a lot of things, but above all else, she is a fierce competitor. She hates losing more than anything else and, now riding a two-fight losing streak after being beaten by Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 on Friday night, it’s easy to guess how sh…
Ronda Rousey is a lot of things, but above all else, she is a fierce competitor. She hates losing more than anything else and, now riding a two-fight losing streak after being beaten by Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 on Friday night, it’s easy to guess how she’s feeling.
She’s feeling really bummed.
Speaking on the Fox Sports 1 post-fight show, UFC President Dana White discussed his backstage interaction with Rousey. “Obviously, the biggest shocker of the night was Ronda Rousey getting finished in 40 seconds,” he said (h/t MMAMania.com’s Dan Hiergesell). “It was crazy. When I walked out of the arena people were crying tonight.”
The Las Vegas crowd was most certainly somber after the main event, booing Nunes despite her posting an impressive stoppage similar to those of Rousey during her heyday. While they warmed up to the champ a bit during her post-fight interview, where she hyped up the rest of the UFC women’s roster (in particular, her girlfriend Nina Ansaroff), Rousey was still the clear favorite among those in attendance.
That seemed to be of little consolation to Rousey, though. “I’ve been with her this whole time,” said White. “She’s so competitive. She’s devastated. But, she’s a lot better than she was in the Holly Holm fight. She was backstage and obviously she is upset, but she’s got a lot of support with her and I think it’s going to be a lot better than the Holly fight.”
Of course, the eyes of Rousey fans now turn to the future.
The former champ (now 12-2 in her pro MMA career), faces an uncertain future after taking back-to-back brutal knockout losses. While her elite judo skills can still translate into wins against modern UFC bantamweights, it’s unknown whether Rousey has the right coaching or pure drive to right the ship at this point.
There is still hope for a return, of course, but those looking for any official word on a Rousey return may have to wait a while before anything definite is announced.
UFC boss Dana White insisted Ronda Rousey has been left “devastated” after her brutal defeat against Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 in Las Vegas.
Making her long-awaited return to the Octagon, Rousey was pummelled with punches by the Brazilian fro…
UFC boss Dana White insisted Ronda Rousey has been left “devastated” after her brutal defeat against Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 in Las Vegas.
Making her long-awaited return to the Octagon, Rousey was pummelled with punches by the Brazilian from the off, with referee Herb Dean eventually stepping in to stop the fight after just 48 seconds, with the challenger almost out on her feet.
Afterward, White suggested the defeat has hit the former champion hard, not to mention some of her fans in attendance, per Dave Doyle of MMA Junkie:
The fight at UFC 207 was Rousey’s first of the year. The bantamweight star had been out of action for more than 12 months following her shock defeat to Holly Holm at UFC 193 in November 2015.
That loss was the first of her professional MMA career and one that Rousey found particularly difficult to swallow. White suggested that she’s in a much better place to cope at this juncture following this latest setback:
It’ll certainly be fascinating to see where Rousey goes from here. After all, there was no sign that the technical flaws Holm so ruthlessly exposed at UFC 193 had been addressed in this contest, as Nunes was able to tag her with shots time after time in the opening exchanges.
Per Greg Beacham of the Associated Press, Nunes landed a massive 27 punches in the 48 seconds the fight was alive. White insisted the champion deserves great credit for her performance at UFC 207 and throughout 2016 as a whole:
Rousey had trailblazed her way to the summit of the sport earlier in her career, blitzing opponents routinely with her pugnacious fighting style and judoka background. She won her first 12 professional fights, with all 12 coming inside the scheduled distance, including nine triumphs via submission.
However, once the dominant force in the division, it’s evident the chasing pack, who previously seemed so far back, have caught up to her. Holm outlined the blueprint to nullify Rousey in 2015, and it was one Nunes followed to perfection, capitalising on some brittle defence.
At 29, Rousey could arguably still bounce back from this defeat and go on to have more success in the sport, although the initial signs aren’t good. Per Jeff Wagenheim of Sports Illustrated, it’s a defeat she’s not taken well:
Nunes, meanwhile, was adamant that this win represents a dawning of a new era for the division. “She had her time,” she said following the win, per Josh Gross of the Guardian. “She did a lot for this sport. Thank you Ronda Rousey … I’m the champion, the Lion!”
Indeed, the relentlessness of Nunes’ approach in this one was reminiscent of Rousey during her pomp. Once the Brazilian landed her first punch in the opening exchanges, an early surrender always looked on the cards for the former queen of the division.
The reality series “Lookin’ for a Fight” with UFC president Dana White returns in January.
The first episode of season two will be posted on YouTube January 2.
Previously, White was…
The reality series “Lookin’ for a Fight” with UFC president Dana White returns in January.
The first episode of season two will be posted on YouTube January 2.
Previously, White was joined by Matt Serra and Nick the Tooth, as the crew traveled around the U.S. to find hidden gems. Among those inked to UFC contracts off the series were Sage Northcutt and Mickey Gall.
UFC 207 is just hours away and the sixth episode of UFC 207 Embedded was released on the UFC’s YouTube channel. In the episode, the fighters rehydrate after weighing in, and former champion Ronda Rousey says hello to UFC President Dana White. The ceremonial weigh-in later that day hosts two memorable staredowns, as bantamweight champion
UFC 207 is just hours away and the sixth episode of UFC 207 Embedded was released on the UFC’s YouTube channel.
In the episode, the fighters rehydrate after weighing in, and former champion Ronda Rousey says hello to UFC President Dana White. The ceremonial weigh-in later that day hosts two memorable staredowns, as bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and challenger Cody Garbrandt have their most heated exchange yet, with security forced to separate the two on stage. Plus, Rousey makes her first public appearance of the week, while her opponent, women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes, walks to the scale in a mask paying homage to her nickname – “The Lioness.”
The weigh-ins are over, the main event is official, the only thing left to do is get Amanda Nunes and Ronda Rousey in the Octagon to fight for the bantamweight title Friday night.
Both Nunes and Rousey weighed in Thursday in Las Vegas at 135 pounds, wh…
The weigh-ins are over, the main event is official, the only thing left to do is get Amanda Nunes and Ronda Rousey in the Octagon to fight for the bantamweight title Friday night.
Both Nunes and Rousey weighed in Thursday in Las Vegas at 135 pounds, which was good news for the UFC since two fighters (Johny Hendricks and Ray Borg) had already missed weight for their respective fights. The last thing Dana White and the new company owners needed was a second straight main event with a fighter not making weight, as UFC 206 saw Anthony Pettis report to the scales overweight for his featherweight interim title fight against Max Holloway.
But speaking of Rousey and Nunes, both fighters looked to be in tremendous shape, especially the former champion who, after a 13-month hiatus from the sport, looks to be in the best physical shape of her career.
Rousey gave the people what they wanted at the ceremonial weigh-in with her trademark scowl, as ESPN’s Brett Okamoto referred to in the tweet above, but perhaps the best part of the weigh-in came from her opponent as Nunes stayed true to her “Lioness” nickname.
One thing that many people overlooked was that Rousey was introduced first before Nunes as the challenger coming out of the blue corner, which is a strange sight to see, as she has been the most dominant champion that the division has ever seen.
MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani picked up on the rare occasion of seeing Rousey as a challenger, which, amazingly, hasn’t occurred in almost five years.
Because of the media blackout that Rousey and Nunes have been in for fight week, it’s difficult to gauge how either fighter will perform Friday night. Nunes looks looser than ever and has been smiling, playful and seems excited to be in the position she is in today.
As for Rousey? She wouldn’t even pose for a picture while standing on the scale during her official weigh-in.
She seems focused on the fight and nothing else, but it’s possible that by shutting out the world in her return to the Octagon and then all of the sudden being under the spotlight as millions of people watch to see if she triumphs or fails, she could end up feeling more pressure.
Whether she shows it or not, there’s no doubt that Rousey is nervous about this fight. Going up against a fierce striker in Nunes in a fight that will define her legacy as a fighter can’t be easy, but if anyone can silence the critics, it’s Rousey.
It’s a must-win fight for Rousey. Nunes will still be a top contender in the bantamweight division and will surely have another title shot coming in the next year or two if she loses, but what happens if Rousey loses?
That’s the million-dollar question. Rousey said that she only has a handful of fights left in her, but after hitting rock bottom in her loss to Holly Holm last year, would another loss be too much for her to deal with and try to fight again?
Nunes thinks so, but then again, she doesn’t envision Rousey beating her and taking her belt back. It would be shocking if this fight went past three rounds, as both fighters are always looking for a quick finish.
Whether it be a first-round knockout or submission, both fighters are capable of fighting on their feet or on the ground. Expect fireworks to go off at UFC 207.
Ronda 