Tag: Recap

UFC on FOX 17 Highlights/Results: Dos Anjos Torches Cerrone, Overeem Flattens Cigano, + More

Is Donald Cerrone destined to be the Urijah Faber of the lightweight division?

That’s the question we found ourselves asking following Cowboy’s quick and violent loss to Rafael Dos Anjos in their lightweight title rematch at UFC on FOX 17 on Saturday. Cerrone, who has managed to rattle off an unprecedented win streak in the UFC’s most stacked division, has wilted under the pressure of title fights time after time dating back to his WEC days. First, he dropped a technical decision to Jamie Varner at WEC 38, then followed it up with a pair of losses to Benson Henderson at WEC 43 and 48, respectively.

To loosely quote Tim McCarver, as good as Cerrone has looked in non-title fights, that’s how as bad he’s been in title fights. And against Dos Anjos this time around, oddsmakers and fans alike were giving Cerrone a far better chance than his previous performances against the true elite would indicate, and he simply “didn’t show up to work.”

Which is a real shame, because Cerrone’s win streak leading up to Saturday night was nothing short of remarkable — an eight fight killing spree which included three head kick KO’s, two subs, and decision wins over former champions in Henderson and Eddie Alvarez (and Myles Jury). He had earned far better than a 66 second ass-kicking to a guy with about 10 years less striking experience, but such is what we’ve come to expect from the most unpredictable sport in the world.

Speaking of unexpected…

The post UFC on FOX 17 Highlights/Results: Dos Anjos Torches Cerrone, Overeem Flattens Cigano, + More appeared first on Cagepotato.

Is Donald Cerrone destined to be the Urijah Faber of the lightweight division?

That’s the question we found ourselves asking following Cowboy’s quick and violent loss to Rafael Dos Anjos in their lightweight title rematch at UFC on FOX 17 on Saturday. Cerrone, who has managed to rattle off an unprecedented win streak in the UFC’s most stacked division, has wilted under the pressure of title fights time after time dating back to his WEC days. First, he dropped a technical decision to Jamie Varner at WEC 38, then followed it up with a pair of losses to Benson Henderson at WEC 43 and 48, respectively.

To loosely quote Tim McCarver, as good as Cerrone has looked in non-title fights, that’s how as bad he’s been in title fights. And against Dos Anjos this time around, oddsmakers and fans alike were giving Cerrone a far better chance than his previous performances against the true elite would indicate, and he simply “didn’t show up to work.”

Which is a real shame, because Cerrone’s win streak leading up to Saturday night was nothing short of remarkable — an eight fight killing spree which included three head kick KO’s, two subs, and decision wins over former champions in Henderson and Eddie Alvarez (and Myles Jury). He had earned far better than a 66 second ass-kicking to a guy with about 10 years less striking experience, but such is what we’ve come to expect from the most unpredictable sport in the world.

Speaking of unexpected…

What in God’s name has happened to Junior Dos Santos? Aside from appearing to have aged approximately 5 years since his fight with Stipe Miocic last year, the former heavyweight champion looked more gunshy than ever against Alistair Overeem in the night’s co-main event. I suppose a pair of horrific beatings at the hands of Cain Velasquez might do that to a man, but considering all the history between Overeem and Dos Santos, it was hard to foresee the fight equating to a staring contest (with an albeit violent ending).

Still, the loss drops Dos Santos to 2-3 in his past 5 and improves Overeem to 4-1 in his, which means that the era of the Ubereem might somehow still be upon us. Crazy.

In yet another surprise to punctuate the UFC on FOX 17 card, Nate Diaz showed up to his fight with Michael Johnson in not only the best shape of his life, but with something resembling a gameplan (by Diaz standards, at least)! The whimsy! The evolution!

(*huffs painter’s glue*) (*sips wine*)

Despite getting tagged early and often by “The Menace” in the first round, Diaz was able to take over late in the fight, utilizing his reach and continuously impressive cardio to keep Johnson at bay while landing 1-2 combinations over and over and over again. Honestly, this “highlight” courtesy of the UFC on FOX Youtube channel doesn’t do the fight even the slightest bit of justice, so instead, let’s watch some classy fans brawl as the Diaz-Johnson decision was announced.

The complete list of results for UFC on FOX 17 are below.

Main Card
Rafael dos Anjos def. Donald Cerrone via TKO (R1, 1:06)
Alistair Overeem def. Junior dos Santos via TKO (R2, 4:43)
Nate Diaz def. Michael Johnson via UD
Karolina Kowalkiewicz def. Randa Markos via UD

Undercard
Charles Oliveira def. Myles Jury via submission (guillotine) (R1, 3:05)
Nate Marquardt def. C.B. Dollaway via KO (R2, 0:28)
Valentina Shevchenko def. Sarah Kaufman via SD
Tamdan McCrory def. Josh Samman via submission (triangle) (R3, 4:10)
Nik Lentz def. Danny Castillo via SD
Cole Miller vs. Jim Alers a no contest (accidental eye poke by Alers)
Kamaru Usman def. Leon Edwards via UD
Vicente Luque def. Hayder Hassan via sub (anaconda choke) (R1, 2:13)
Francis Ngannou def. Luiz Henrique via KO (R2, 2:53)

The post UFC on FOX 17 Highlights/Results: Dos Anjos Torches Cerrone, Overeem Flattens Cigano, + More appeared first on Cagepotato.

UFC 194 Aftermath: Prophecy Fulfilled


(via Getty)

Back in 2008, a fresh faced (well, maybe “fresh faced” is a little disingenuous) Conor McGregor was quoted as saying that he would be the future champion of the UFC’s lightweight division — “I’m the fucking future” was how he summed it up, I believe. Over the next four years, McGregor would put together a string of vicious performances that seemed to align with that belief, becoming CWFC’s first two-division champion in the process.

It was on April 6th, 2013 that McGregor was first tested on the world’s premier mixed martial arts stage, and to say that he passed with flying colors would be a bit of an understatement. McGregor tore through Marcus Brimage like tissue paper, starching the TUF 13 alum in just over a minute and collecting a well-earned 60 G’s (babayy!!) in bonus money to boot.

McGregor’s naysayers used a lot of words to describe his subsequent rise to fame — “protected,” “unearned,” and “all talk” among them — but time after time when it came to fight night, there McGregor would be, his hand raised, a thoroughly bewildered and semi-unconscious opponent beside him. He talked the talk, he walked the walk, and on Saturday, Conor McGregor fulfilled the prophecy that he and he alone created in devastating fashion.

The post UFC 194 Aftermath: Prophecy Fulfilled appeared first on Cagepotato.


(via Getty)

Back in 2008, a fresh faced (well, maybe “fresh faced” is a little disingenuous) Conor McGregor was quoted as saying that he would be the future champion of the UFC’s lightweight division — “I’m the fucking future” was how he summed it up, I believe. Over the next four years, McGregor would put together a string of vicious performances that seemed to align with that belief, becoming CWFC’s first two-division champion in the process.

It was on April 6th, 2013 that McGregor was first tested on the world’s premier mixed martial arts stage, and to say that he passed with flying colors would be a bit of an understatement. McGregor tore through Marcus Brimage like tissue paper, starching the TUF 13 alum in just over a minute and collecting a well-earned 60 G’s (babayy!!) in bonus money to boot.

McGregor’s naysayers used a lot of words to describe his subsequent rise to fame — “protected,” “unearned,” and “all talk” among them — but time after time when it came to fight night, there McGregor would be, his hand raised, a thoroughly bewildered and semi-unconscious opponent beside him. He talked the talk, he walked the walk, and on Saturday, Conor McGregor fulfilled the prophecy that he and he alone created in devastating fashion.

Much has been made about McGregor’s, let’s call them “linguistic skills” over the years, but arguably more impressive than the Irishman’s gift for gab has been his foresight. He said he would knock out Dustin Poirier in a round, and he did. He said he that Chad Mendes would crumble, and he did. Perhaps most insane of all, he said that Jose Aldo — the pound for pound king and only featherweight champion in the UFC’s history — would “overreact, overextend, and then be KO’d unconscious.” And he did.

In the blink of an eye at UFC 194, all doubt about “Mystic Mac’s” abilities were erased via an emphatic knockout of Aldo that was eerily reminiscent of one from early in his career. It was Aldo’s first defeat in ten years, and it happened in just over 10 seconds. It was a moment that’s still indescribable, even when looking back at the road it took to get there.

Speaking of prophecies, Luke Rockhold seemed to know something we all didn’t heading into his UFC 194 co-main event with Chris Weidman. The middleweight title challenger oozed confidence in the build-up to the fight despite being paired against the man best known for defeating one of the sport’s greatest fighters twice, and his confidence was evident from the very first punch thrown.

We all knew Rockhold’s size would be a factor, but the extent to which he was able to wear down Weidman with body kicks and clinch work was a sight to behold. Even the final sequence of the fight, where Rockhold secured a takedown on the two-time Division 1 wrestler that would lead to the fight-ending onslaught of ground-and-pound (which seemed to last for no less than 90 minutes), was a testament to how well-rounded the former Strikeforce champion has become, and just how dominant he will be moving forward…barring any steroid-fueled spinning head kicks.

And Rockhold will need to bring every bit of confidence to the cage should he face Yoel Romero, who secured a split decision over fellow top contender Jacare Souza just one fight earlier at UFC194, next. Despite Romero’s penchant for stretching the rules and slowing down over the course of three round affairs, his momentary flashes of brilliance (I’m referring to that nasty spinning backfist he landed in the first round, of course) still paint him as a dangerous potential challenge to anyone at 185 . But Romero’s controversial win, coupled with Rockhold’s upset, doesn’t exactly make the middleweight title picture any clearer — in fact, we might have to see Weidman vs. Romero to determine who gets a shot at the new champ next.

In any case, a whole lot of possibilities have just opened up in two of the UFC’s most steady divisions, and that’s always an exciting prospect for those of us who choose to embrace the chaos that the sport oft dwells in.

Main Card
Conor McGregor def. Jose Aldo via first-round KO
Luke Rockhold def. Chris Weidman via fourth-round TKO
Yoel Romero def. Jacare Souza via split decision
Demian Maia def. Gunnar Nelson via unanimous decision
Max Holloway def. Jeremy Stephens via UD

Undercard
Urijah Faber def. Frankie Saenz via unanimous decision
Tecia Torres def. Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger via UD
Warlley Alves def. Colby Covington via submission (guillotine choke)
Leonardo Santos def. Kevin Lee via first-round TKO (3:26)
Magomed Mustafaev  def. Joe Proctor via TKO (strikes) at 1:54 of R1
Yancy Medeiros def. John Makdessi via split decision
Court McGee def. Marcio Alexandre Jr. via UD

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Fight Night 80 Highlights/Results: Namajunas Dominates VanZant, Chiesa & Northcutt Notch Submission Wins + More

While looking through the lense of hindsight, it’s almost impossible to imagine how Paige VanZant was ever listed as a 2-to-1 favorite over Rose Namajunas heading into their Fight Night 80 main event. Yet she was, and we can only imagine that a lot of people made some money off a rare miss by the Vegas bookies.

Over the course of five rounds, our girl Rose utterly dismantled VanZant in every department. Her striking was impeccably crisp, her takedowns came at will, and her submissions were what ultimately won her the day. Vanzant looked completely outmatched from start to finish, repeatedly latching onto to hapless headlock throws THAT NO FIGHTER SHOULD EVER ATTEMPT AGAIN. But what she lacked in polish, VanZant more than made up in grit. On multiple occasions throughout the fight, a bloodied and battered Vanzant appeared to be caught in what any logical person would consider a fight-ending submission — first it was a rear-naked choke, then an armbar so brutal that it may have rearranged her DNA — but not once did she stop pressing forward and throwing nything she could think of at her clearly superior opponent. So on this day, we raise a glass to both competitors and say, congratulations on one epic goddamn war.

But the main event wasn’t the only fight that delivered, so head after the jump for a full list of Fight Night 80 results.

The post Fight Night 80 Highlights/Results: Namajunas Dominates VanZant, Chiesa & Northcutt Notch Submission Wins + More appeared first on Cagepotato.

While looking through the lense of hindsight, it’s almost impossible to imagine how Paige VanZant was ever listed as a 2-to-1 favorite over Rose Namajunas heading into their Fight Night 80 main event. Yet she was, and we can only imagine that a lot of people made some money off a rare miss by the Vegas bookies.

Over the course of five rounds, our girl Rose utterly dismantled VanZant in every department. Her striking was impeccably crisp, her takedowns came at will, and her submissions were what ultimately won her the day. Vanzant looked completely outmatched from start to finish, repeatedly latching onto to hapless headlock throws THAT NO FIGHTER SHOULD EVER ATTEMPT AGAIN. But what she lacked in polish, VanZant more than made up in grit. On multiple occasions throughout the fight, a bloodied and battered Vanzant appeared to be caught in what any logical person would consider a fight-ending submission — first it was a rear-naked choke, then an armbar so brutal that it may have rearranged her DNA — but not once did she stop pressing forward and throwing nything she could think of at her clearly superior opponent. So on this day, we raise a glass to both competitors and say, congratulations on one epic goddamn war.

But the main event wasn’t the only fight that delivered, so head after the jump for a full list of Fight Night 80 results.

In the co-main event of the evening, TUF Live winner Michael Chiesa took on the always game veteran Jim Miller in a back-and-forth banger so sweet that it managed to snatch “Fight of the Night” awards away from Namajunas vs. VanZant. Sadly, it’s starting to look like the younger of the Miller brothers is also starting to lose a little pep in his step, and worse, he’s more vulnerable to the submission than he’s ever been in his career. Given, he’s only been submitted three times in the past three years (well, two if we exclude the Healy fight) and only by insanely talented grapplers, but it’s kind of like how Dan Henderson went from an iron-jawed beast to a guy who gets shut down the first time he’s hit almost every fight.

In any case, enjoy these Chiesa-Miller highlights set to some blasting EDM, because the UFC is too cheap to provide embeddable highlights for their Fight Pass Events.

Finally on the highlight front, here’s Sage Northcutt‘s finish of Cody Pfister in the second round of their main card scrap. Oh, you hadn’t predicted that Sage Northcutt would beat a guy whose last name is Pfister and whose nickname is “The Pfist”? You silly, silly sonofabitch, you.

The complete Fight Night 80 results are below.

Main card
Rose Namajunas def. Paige VanZant via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:25 of R5
Michael Chiesa def. Jim Miller via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:57 of R2
Sage Northcutt def. Cody Pfister via submission (guillotine) at :41 of R2
Thiago Santos def. Elias Theodorou via unanimous decision

Undercard
Tim Means def. John Howard via KO (left hook) at :21 of R2
Omari Akhmedov def. Sergio Moraes via TKO (punches) at 2:18 of R3
Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Kevin Casey ends in no contest (eye poke) at :11 of R1
Aljamain Sterling def. Johnny Eduardo via submission (guillotine) at 4:18 of R2
Santiago Ponzinibbio def. Andreas Stahl via TKO (punches) at 4:25 of R1
Danny Roberts def. Nathan Coy via submission (triangle) at 2:46 of R1
Zubaira Tukhugov def. Phillipe Nover via split decision
Kailin Curran def. Emily Kagan via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:13 of R2

The post Fight Night 80 Highlights/Results: Namajunas Dominates VanZant, Chiesa & Northcutt Notch Submission Wins + More appeared first on Cagepotato.

Fight Night 79 Results/Highlights: Bendo Bendo’s, Sexyama Falls, and Dudes Named “Dong” Go 2-1

I’ll be honest with you, Nation: Not much of note happened at last weekend’s Fight Night event from Seoul, South Korea, so much so that the UFC hasn’t even released any actual fight highlights from the event. In the main event of the evening, Benson Henderson did his Benson Henderson thing and outpointed Jorge “GAMEBRED” Masvidal en route to a split decision victory, then both symbolically announced he was leaving the UFC and called out Georges St. Pierre. At least I think he did. It was all a bit confusing, so you’ll have to watch his post-fight interview above to get some sense of it.

What else? Oh right, guys named “Dong” — of which there were 3 on the Fight Night 79 card — went a solid (or perhaps firm) 2-1 on the evening, with Dong Hyun Kim scoring a first round TKO over Dominic Waters in the evening’s co-main event, Dongi Yang defeating Jake Collier via second round TKO in the “featured prelim,” and the other, debuting Dong Hyun Kim suffering a hellacious KO via slam to Dominique Steele in the first bout of the night. So basically, two dongs stood proud while one wilted under the pressure. Not a bad ratio, amiright ladies?

Video of Steele’s brutal slam and the full results from Fight Night 79 are after the jump. 

The post Fight Night 79 Results/Highlights: Bendo Bendo’s, Sexyama Falls, and Dudes Named “Dong” Go 2-1 appeared first on Cagepotato.

I’ll be honest with you, Nation: Not much of note happened at last weekend’s Fight Night event from Seoul, South Korea, so much so that the UFC hasn’t even released any actual fight highlights from the event. In the main event of the evening, Benson Henderson did his Benson Henderson thing and outpointed Jorge “GAMEBRED” Masvidal en route to a split decision victory, then both symbolically announced he was leaving the UFC and called out Georges St. Pierre. At least I think he did. It was all a bit confusing, so you’ll have to watch his post-fight interview above to get some sense of it.

What else? Oh right, guys named “Dong” — of which there were 3 on the Fight Night 79 card — went a solid (or perhaps firm) 2-1 on the evening, with Dong Hyun Kim scoring a first round TKO over Dominic Waters in the evening’s co-main event, Dongi Yang defeating Jake Collier via second round TKO in the “featured prelim,” and the other, debuting Dong Hyun Kim suffering a hellacious KO via slam to Dominique Steele in the first bout of the night. So basically, two dongs stood proud while one wilted under the pressure. Not a bad ratio, amiright ladies?

Video of Steele’s brutal slam and the full results from Fight Night 79 are after the jump. 

Elsewhere on the Fight Night 79 main card, Yoshihiro Akiyama dropped a questionable split decision to Alberto “Soldier of God” Mina, who should definitely consider changing his nickname before the one true SoG, Yoel Romero, makes him do it. Anyways, the by-far most entertaining moment from the bout came when Sexiyama removed his shirt.

Opening up the main card, highly-touted prospect Doo-Ho Choi continued his streak of TKO finishes, making quick work of veteran Sam Sicilia with a first round knockout. The impressive finish was made all the more impressive by the fact that Sicilia had never been finished by strikes prior to the bout. Keep an eye on “The Korean Superboy,” Nation, he’s definitely going places.

The full results for Fight Night 79 are below. 

Main Card (Fight Pass)
Benson Henderson def. Jorge Masvidal by split decision (48-47, 47-48, 49-46)
Dong-Hyun Kim def. Dominic Waters by TKO via punches at 3:11 of Round 1
Alberto Mina def. Yoshihiro Akiyama by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Doo-Ho Choi def. Sam Sicilia by TKO via punches at 1:33 of Round 1

Preliminary Card (Fight Pass)
Dongi Yang def. Jake Collier by TKO via punches at 1:50 of Round 2
Mike de la Torre def. Yui-Chul Nam by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Tae-Hyun Bang def. Leo Kuntz by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Seo-Hee Ham def. Cortney Casey by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Fredy Serrano def. Yao Zhikui by TKO via injury at 0:44 of Round 1
Marco Beltran def. Ning Guangyou by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Dominique Steele def. Dong-Hyun Kim by TKO via slam at 0:37 of Round 3

The post Fight Night 79 Results/Highlights: Bendo Bendo’s, Sexyama Falls, and Dudes Named “Dong” Go 2-1 appeared first on Cagepotato.

Fight Night 79 Results/Highlights: Bendo Bendo’s, Sexyama Falls, and Dudes Named “Dong” Go 2-1

I’ll be honest with you, Nation: Not much of note happened at last weekend’s Fight Night event from Seoul, South Korea, so much so that the UFC hasn’t even released any actual fight highlights from the event. In the main event of the evening, Benson Henderson did his Benson Henderson thing and outpointed Jorge “GAMEBRED” Masvidal en route to a split decision victory, then both symbolically announced he was leaving the UFC and called out Georges St. Pierre. At least I think he did. It was all a bit confusing, so you’ll have to watch his post-fight interview above to get some sense of it.

What else? Oh right, guys named “Dong” — of which there were 3 on the Fight Night 79 card — went a solid (or perhaps firm) 2-1 on the evening, with Dong Hyun Kim scoring a first round TKO over Dominic Waters in the evening’s co-main event, Dongi Yang defeating Jake Collier via second round TKO in the “featured prelim,” and the other, debuting Dong Hyun Kim suffering a hellacious KO via slam to Dominique Steele in the first bout of the night. So basically, two dongs stood proud while one wilted under the pressure. Not a bad ratio, amiright ladies?

Video of Steele’s brutal slam and the full results from Fight Night 79 are after the jump. 

The post Fight Night 79 Results/Highlights: Bendo Bendo’s, Sexyama Falls, and Dudes Named “Dong” Go 2-1 appeared first on Cagepotato.

I’ll be honest with you, Nation: Not much of note happened at last weekend’s Fight Night event from Seoul, South Korea, so much so that the UFC hasn’t even released any actual fight highlights from the event. In the main event of the evening, Benson Henderson did his Benson Henderson thing and outpointed Jorge “GAMEBRED” Masvidal en route to a split decision victory, then both symbolically announced he was leaving the UFC and called out Georges St. Pierre. At least I think he did. It was all a bit confusing, so you’ll have to watch his post-fight interview above to get some sense of it.

What else? Oh right, guys named “Dong” — of which there were 3 on the Fight Night 79 card — went a solid (or perhaps firm) 2-1 on the evening, with Dong Hyun Kim scoring a first round TKO over Dominic Waters in the evening’s co-main event, Dongi Yang defeating Jake Collier via second round TKO in the “featured prelim,” and the other, debuting Dong Hyun Kim suffering a hellacious KO via slam to Dominique Steele in the first bout of the night. So basically, two dongs stood proud while one wilted under the pressure. Not a bad ratio, amiright ladies?

Video of Steele’s brutal slam and the full results from Fight Night 79 are after the jump. 

Elsewhere on the Fight Night 79 main card, Yoshihiro Akiyama dropped a questionable split decision to Alberto “Soldier of God” Mina, who should definitely consider changing his nickname before the one true SoG, Yoel Romero, makes him do it. Anyways, the by-far most entertaining moment from the bout came when Sexiyama removed his shirt.

Opening up the main card, highly-touted prospect Doo-Ho Choi continued his streak of TKO finishes, making quick work of veteran Sam Sicilia with a first round knockout. The impressive finish was made all the more impressive by the fact that Sicilia had never been finished by strikes prior to the bout. Keep an eye on “The Korean Superboy,” Nation, he’s definitely going places.

The full results for Fight Night 79 are below. 

Main Card (Fight Pass)
Benson Henderson def. Jorge Masvidal by split decision (48-47, 47-48, 49-46)
Dong-Hyun Kim def. Dominic Waters by TKO via punches at 3:11 of Round 1
Alberto Mina def. Yoshihiro Akiyama by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Doo-Ho Choi def. Sam Sicilia by TKO via punches at 1:33 of Round 1

Preliminary Card (Fight Pass)
Dongi Yang def. Jake Collier by TKO via punches at 1:50 of Round 2
Mike de la Torre def. Yui-Chul Nam by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Tae-Hyun Bang def. Leo Kuntz by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Seo-Hee Ham def. Cortney Casey by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Fredy Serrano def. Yao Zhikui by TKO via injury at 0:44 of Round 1
Marco Beltran def. Ning Guangyou by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Dominique Steele def. Dong-Hyun Kim by TKO via slam at 0:37 of Round 3

The post Fight Night 79 Results/Highlights: Bendo Bendo’s, Sexyama Falls, and Dudes Named “Dong” Go 2-1 appeared first on Cagepotato.

Holly Holm’s Upset of Ronda Rousey Is a Boon for the UFC


(via Getty.)

By Chris Huntemann, Columnist

Shock. Disbelief. Speechlessness. You can insert your own emotion here to sum up your feelings about Holly Holm’s upset win over Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 on Saturday night. But please refrain from invoking another emotion: Despair.

The post Holly Holm’s Upset of Ronda Rousey Is a Boon for the UFC appeared first on Cagepotato.


(via Getty.)

By Chris Huntemann, Columnist

Shock. Disbelief. Speechlessness. You can insert your own emotion here to sum up your feelings about Holly Holm’s upset win over Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 on Saturday night. But please refrain from invoking another emotion: Despair.

It’s going to be popular to assume that Rousey showing she is, in fact, beatable is a bad thing for the UFC or for women’s mixed martial arts in general. You might even go so far as to be like my friend here, who I’m assuming spoke with his tongue planted firmly in cheek:

But please relax, MMA fans. I’m here to tell you why Holm defeating Rousey is actually a terrific thing for both the UFC and women’s MMA in general. Even though he looked crestfallen during the postfight press conference, UFC President Dana White should also be the happiest guy around with how UFC 193 unfolded.

Let’s say Rousey performed her usual routine and demolished Holm in a minute or less. Prior to last night’s bout, Rousey said she wanted to “disappear for a while” after her title defense. Judging by how she looked and acted during the weigh-ins, that might have been a good idea. You have to wonder if the spotlight and all the media attention was starting to get to Rousey a little bit.

Anyway, if Rousey dominated Holm at UFC 193, there would be no challengers left. Miesha Tate isn’t getting another title shot, apparently. The memory of Cat Zingano’s 14-second loss to Rousey is still fresh in many people’s minds, so she’s out. It looks increasingly unlikely (especially after Saturday night’s card) that a fight between Rousey and Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino isn’t going to happen. If Rousey defeated Holm, the women’s bantamweight division would basically be held hostage by Rousey’s continued success.

But now, we have a plethora of fresh matchups that are possible. Which begins with the immediate rematch that will happen between Holm and Rousey. While it’s not exactly fresh, Rousey/Holm 2 gives the UFC another big fight to promote in the new year that people will want to see. In fact, it would be the perfect main event for the UFC’s 200th card, which will more than likely take place in Madison Square Garden.

When you think about some of the memorable moments that have taken place in the world’s most famous arena, having two women face off in the main event of the first UFC card at MSG will represent another significant achievement for women’s MMA and women’s sports in general.

Plus, the rematch between Holm and Rousey sells itself. People are comparing Holm’s upset to other notable upsets, such as Buster Douglas defeating Mike Tyson. Since the UFC and White have never met hyperbole they didn’t love, all they need to do is invoke a few other famous upsets in video packages for Holm/Rousey 2, sit back and watch the dough pour in. White will practically have to do no work at all.

The outcome of Holm/Rousey 2 is almost irrelevant, as well. If Rousey gets her title back, she can resume her perch as the greatest women’s MMA fighter of all time and continue to enjoy all the Hollywood offers that will no doubt keep pouring in. If Holm wins, then the UFC has a brand new star to promote. Holly Holm – “The Ronda Slayer.”

We would also be privy to a bunch of exciting new fights at women’s bantamweight if Holm retains her title. If the UFC relents and grants Tate a title shot, could Holm use her striking to keep Tate and her grappling at bay? If Holm faced Zingano, that would be a MMA striking fan’s dream with Holm’s boxing and kickboxing going against Zingano’s Muay Thai.

It’s easy to think that Rousey losing to Holm somehow portends bad things for the UFC or women’s MMA, as my misguided friend above might imply. But guess what? The MMA world didn’t end when Matt Serra upset Georges St. Pierre, and St. Pierre worked his way back to a rematch with Serra and re-established himself as maybe the greatest MMA fighter of all time. Some people might have thought Brock Lesnar getting exposed by Cain Velasquez was bad for the UFC, but both parties emerged from that just fine.

The bottom line is, stars come and go in MMA, and in all sports. We may just have a new one in Holly Holm, who might just pick up where Rousey left off in carrying the flag for women’s MMA.

Chris Huntemann writes about mixed martial arts in the state of Maryland. He also opines on all things UFC, Bellator and World Series of Fighting. Check out his blog, or visit his Twitter: @mmamaryland.

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