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AskMen.com Declares Ronda Rousey the 43rd Most Desirable Woman of 2013

(This is the last known image of #42.)

Not that it matters — because in ten days, Zorp the Surveyor will arrive to burn off our flesh with his volcano mouth and use our melted faces as fuel (Ed note: All hail Zorp) — but popular men’s interest website AskMen.com recently tallied over 2.4 million votes to determine the top 99 most desirable women of 2013, as determined by you, the people. And wouldn’t you know it, none other than inaugural UFC Rondaweight champion Ronda Rousey placed an astonishing 43rd on said list. I guess this WMMA thing is catching on after all.

Beating out rival Kim Kardashian (#98), as well as such top-shelf hotties as Heidi Klum (#61), Olivia Wilde (#54), and Scarlett Johansson (#45) and falling just ten spots behind first lady Michelle Obama, it was an impressive showing for the women’s champ to say the least. Based on all of our recent Rousey-related posts, I’m guessing most of your reactions are going to be something along the lines of “WTF is this shit?! I find hotter women scrubbing the cobblestone sidewalks at night whilst travelling from my vacation home to my second vacation home!” but does anyone honestly feel she deserves her ranking on the list, if not a higher one? And what the fuck is a Jenna Marbles (#90)?

(This is the last known image of #42.)

Not that it matters — because in ten days, Zorp the Surveyor will arrive to burn off our flesh with his volcano mouth and use our melted faces as fuel (Ed note: All hail Zorp) – but popular men’s interest website AskMen.com recently tallied over 2.4 million votes to determine the top 99 most desirable women of 2013, as determined by you, the people. And wouldn’t you know it, none other than inaugural UFC Rondaweight champion Ronda Rousey placed an astonishing 43rd on said list. I guess this WMMA thing is catching on after all.

Personally, I’m just upset that Tina Fey (#80) landed some 73 spots behind Kristen Stewart (#7), whose pouty, suicidal-girl-next-door routine couldn’t arouse me if I had a fistful of Viagra, a fifth of Jack, and six minutes left on this earth. Also, I wish Michelle Jenneke was less a track star and more a sex slave chained to a pipe in my basement, but I digress.

You can check out the list in its entirety here. But before I go, I must ask, where would you have placed Sofia Vergara between #1 and whatever is better than #1?

–J. Jones

Ronda Rousey: Headlining UFC 157 Is Huge Development for Female MMA Fighters

UFC 157 will mark a huge occasion for women’s MMA and female sports in general, as the fight between superstar Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche will not only be the first fight between women on a UFC pay-per-view, but the first to headline one as we…

Even Dana White recognizes that making Rousey and Carmouche is a risk, but apparently sees enough potential in Rousey‘s star power to take a chance.

From Steven Marrocco of MMAJunkie.com (via Cincinnati.com):

“I don’t know how the whole women’s thing is going to go, how it’s going to go over, or what it’s going to do,” UFC President Dana White told USA TODAY Sports. “She’s the only title fight on that card, but that card is going to be stacked.”

For my money, it’s a risk worth taking.

Rousey is the perfect star to usher in a new age of female MMA. She’s attractive, talented, has a signature move (a devastating armbar) and an unfiltered, no-holds bar personality that is at once intense and refreshing.

But this is a big deal for women’s sports in general. Too often, female competitions are given second fiddle. The WNBA is regularly the butt of jokes. Despite having the top team in the world, the United States doesn’t have a sustainable women’s soccer league.

Now, the UFC is fostering a legitimate star and allowing her to headline a major event. Yes, the card is stacked—White is a savvy businessman, and he knows how to cover his bases in the event Rousey isn’t enough to draw major numbers—but the ladies have a chance to prove on the big stage they belong.

And that puts a lot of pressure on Rousey. She’s not just fighting Carmouche, she’s fighting for the right to establish herself as an ambassador for female fighting in general. Yes, if she loses the UFC will simply market Carmouche as “the next big thing.”

But Rousey is tailor-made to be a star with crossover appeal. She’s also chock full of classic sound bites. Put her in that Octagon and there are few people alive, man or woman, who are as bad as Rousey. I have nightmares about that armbar.

And a big win will likely set up another headlining fight that everyone wants to see—Rousey versus Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, the woman who essentially ended Gina Carano’s stint in MMA.

Oh, and Rousey has already blasted Santos for her steroid use, which will surely only stoke the fire between the two. You can’t tell me you wouldn’t be excited for that fight. I sure as hell would.

Women’s MMA is getting a huge boost by the UFC and Rousey, and the superstar has to hold up her end of the bargain and win. I’m not betting against her.

She hasn’t met a woman she couldn’t defeat yet. I’m guessing the heavy weight of expectations won’t be able to hold her down, either.

Hit me up on Twitter—my tweets are terrified of Rousey‘s armbar. TERRIFIED.

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Miesha Tate: I Didn’t Turn Down Ronda Rousey, Rousey Is "Beatable"

Strikeforce bantamweight Miesha Tate said the UFC never offered her a fight with champion Ronda Rousey, and believes she could still be the one to dethrone Rousey despite the fact that Rousey submitted her earlier this year.Appearing Monday on The…

Appearing Monday on The MMA Hour broadcast with journalist Ariel Helwani, Tate responded to recent comments from Rousey and UFC President Dana White implying Tate had turned down a fight in the UFC with Rousey.

“I was never presented with [the fight],” Tate said.

I had made it clear that I wanted to take some time off. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make an exception to the rule. When I made that statement about taking time off, it was before I had the opportunity to fight in the UFC.

Rousey called the comments “a little bit of a slap in the face,” not because she wasn’t offered the fight, but because of the implication that she had turned down an offer.

To be honest, I’m OK with everything because the big picture is that [a rematch] is worth building. But then they kind of called me out and made it sound like it wasn’t something I was interested in doing…I’m not OK with Ronda saying that I’m basically afraid to fight her.

Tate, who said she would have accepted the fight if offered, declined to say whether she had officially signed with the UFC. She did say she texted with White and others in the UFC to clear the air.

“[White] said it wasn’t exactly what was said and sometimes he has a poor choice of words,” Tate said. “I think he realized he pissed me off a little bit. You don’t want a scorned woman running around.”

Tate added that she believed the UFC might be putting “too many eggs in one basket” by backing and hyping Rousey so much more vigorously than any other female fighter, and said she “helped make [Rousey] more of a legend” by refusing to tap to what was ultimately a gruesome armbar submission in their fight in March.

“I think she’s beatable,” Tate said. “And if I get my rematch, I think I could be the first person to do so.”

Tate said she was hoping to return to action some time in the spring.

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UFC Squash Match Alert: Ronda Rousey Opened as a 15-1 Favorite Against That Other Girl

(Keep it together, Ronda. Never go full Sally Field. / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle.com)

According to BestFightOdds, UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey opened as a -1500 betting favorite against her UFC 157 challenger Liz Carmouche, who opened at +700. Since then, the odds have leveled out somewhat; SportBet currently has the line at a more reasonable -1110/+690, which means that you’d need to put up $1,110 in order to turn a $100 profit on Ronda if she wins, while betting $100 on Liz would…you know what, I’m not even going to finish that sentence. Please do not bet money on this fight.

The current odds make Rousey vs. Carmouche rank among the most lopsided UFC matchups of all time, which comes as no surprise — before the booking was announced, many UFC fans may not have even been aware of the existence of Liz Carmouche, who is an unknown quantity to everyone except hardcore fans of women’s MMA and Strikeforce. Plus, Carmouche fell short both times she faced champion-level competition, suffering a decision loss to Sarah Kaufman in July 2011 and a submission loss to Marloes Coenen four months prior, although Carmouche was winning that fight until she was stopped.

(Keep it together, Ronda. Never go full Sally Field. / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle.com)

None of Rousey’s previous matches have turned out to be very competitive, and it’s hard to imagine that this one will be any different. (If Liz gets armbarred in the second round as opposed to the first round, she should immediately be ranked the #2 women’s bantamweight in the world.) Is that necessarily a bad thing? A string of highlight-reel finishes from a charismatic champion can go a long way in drawing casual fans to women’s MMA. Think of it this way: Mike Tyson became famous by rolling over outmatched palookas, not by clawing out victories in gritty 12-round wars — and converted hordes of young people to boxing fandom in the process.

Not that we’re calling Ronda Rousey the Mike Tyson of women’s MMA (at least not yet). But maybe a good squash match is just what the sport needs right now.

Ronda Rousey Opens as Massive 15-to-1 Favorite vs. Liz Carmouche at UFC 157

Once again, oddsmakers are betting heavily on Ronda Rousey.Just yesterday at the UFC on Fox 5 pre-fight press conference, the mixed martial arts megastar was awarded the UFC’s first women’s bantamweight championship belt as Dana White made his first fi…

Once again, oddsmakers are betting heavily on Ronda Rousey.

Just yesterday at the UFC on Fox 5 pre-fight press conference, the mixed martial arts megastar was awarded the UFC’s first women’s bantamweight championship belt as Dana White made his first fight announcement for Rousey.

Instead of an expected superfight against former Strikeforce featherweight champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino, Rousey will face top-ranked bantamweight Liz Carmouche in the main event at UFC 157.

According to Best Fight Odds, Rousey will walk into the bout as a historic -1500 favorite against her first opponent in the UFC. Those odds come from European betting site 5Dimes, which also pegs Carmouche as a notable +700 underdog.

However, those aren’t even the longest odds for the challenger.

American site SportsBet only rates Rousey as a -1380 favorite (still extremely lopsided odds nonetheless), but lists Carmouche as an +800 underdog.

To date, this is the biggest betting gap between Rousey and an opponent in her entire MMA career.

For most of her fights, Rousey has been the clear favorite in most sports betting groups, with her closet odds coming up against former Strikeforce bantamweight champion Miesha Tate.

Ronda Rousey’s first UFC title defense against Carmouche takes place at the Honda Center in Anahiem, California, on February 23rd. It will have two significant marks in the history books: Not only will UFC 157 be the first event in the promotion’s history headlined by a women’s MMA fight, but it will also feature its first openly-gay female fighter in Carmouche.

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Of Course Tito Ortiz is The Reason Cyborg Turned Down Rousey Fight at UFC 157

(Related clip: Tito and Cyborg rolling together in June 2011. Skip to 2:30 to see Cyborg lift Tito like a damsel in distress. Anyway, they’re business partners now. / Props: MMA Heat)

A few heads were scratched when the UFC announced yesterday that UFC 157 would be headlined by Ronda Rousey taking on Liz Carmouche. Rousey’s star is certainly on the rise and is as good a bet as any first-time pay-per-view headliner would be, but Carmouche is relatively unknown outside of hardcore Women’s Mixed Martial Arts circles. and WMMA as a PPV entity is unproven on the whole.

It made more sense once it was revealed that several opponents, including currently suspended former 145-pound champion Cristaine “Cyborg” Santos, had turned Rousey down. The potential Rousey/Santos fight is the biggest women’s match out there, as both have held Strikeforce world titles and have a running feud with one another.

According to White, however, his former friend/client/contracted worker/sworn enemy Tito Ortiz is to blame for Rousey vs. Cyborg not taking place at UFC 157. “That’s the fight that should be happening,” White said during yesterday’s UFC on Fox pre-event presser in Seattle. “Tito Ortiz is her manager, and he advised against it.”

Well, of course it’s Tito’s fault. It’s been forever since White was able to complain about and blame something on Tito. All must feel right in the world once more for the Baldfather.

(Related clip: Tito and Cyborg rolling together in June 2011. Skip to 2:30 to see Cyborg lift Tito like a damsel in distress. Anyway, they’re business partners now. / Props: MMA Heat)

According to White, however, his former friend/client/contracted worker/sworn enemy Tito Ortiz is to blame for Rousey vs. Cyborg not taking place at UFC 157. ”That’s the fight that should be happening,” White said during yesterday’s UFC on Fox pre-event presser in Seattle. “Tito Ortiz is her manager, and he advised against it.”

Well, of course it’s Tito’s fault. It’s been forever since White was able to complain about and blame something on Tito. All must feel right in the world once more for the Baldfather.

MMA Junkie reached Ortiz for comment via text message. According to Tito, “Cyborg” will fight Ronda at 145 — her competitive weight, not Rousey’s — at any point, but would want more time to safely cut down to 135 than February and UFC 157.

“That was never said!” Ortiz reportedly texted Junkie. “‘Cyborg’ will fight her anytime, anywhere at 145. Cris said she would kill herself trying to make 135. I won’t allow it, (and) neither should the UFC or Dana. Cris wants the fight, fans want the fight, and so does the UFC.”

Meanwhile, Rousey tore into Santos while speaking with MMA Junkie, and claimed that Miesha Tate and Sara McMann also both turned down title fights with her for UFC 157.

“I know [Cyborg] can make 135, and so does she,” Rousey told Junkie. “It just takes her a little while to realize that this is the only option she has. It took her a little bit longer because I don’t think she’s that bright. Once she does sit down and think about it, we’ll have the only fight that really makes sense.

“I think it’s really funny that when me and Miesha were supposed to fight, she was going on and on about how I didn’t deserve to fight her, and now she doesn’t want to fight me,” Rousey said. “And I also think it’s really funny that Sara was telling all these people that I was running away from her, and then she turns down a fight for the UFC title. I mean, c’mon,” Rousey continued.

MMA Junkie also reached Tate for comment, who claimed that she was never, in fact, offered a fight against Rousey. “I’ve made it pretty clear that I wanted to take some time off since my last fight, and that was back in August, so maybe because of that, the opportunity wasn’t presented to me. But it was never offered to me,” she said.

“The only thing that I can say is when I was down in Brazil, (UFC matchmaker) Sean (Shelby) asked if I might be interested in fighting in February. There was never any mention of an opponent or it being in the UFC. So I said, ‘I still want to take a little more time off and find myself as a fighter and a person. It was never made clear to me at all that it would be such a huge opportunity, that it could be against Ronda or in the UFC. At that point, they hadn’t even announced that women were coming to the UFC. This was back in early October when the UFC was down in Brazil.”

There’s no way of telling for sure where, exactly, the truth sits on this topic, between all this he/she said stuff. We cannot, however, even imagine a world where White would present a story in a particularly subjective way and without full context given, especially ones involving Tito Ortiz or fighters turning down fights.

Update: Now Sara McMann’s manager Monte Cox is also denying that they were offered a fight against Ronda Rousey.

– Elias Cepeda