Dana White Confirms UFC Signing of Ronda Rousey; Debut Date/Opponent Still TBA


(Props: Ronda Rousey’s Facebook page)

Confirming earlier reports that Ronda Rousey had become the first woman to be signed by the UFC, Dana White went on the Jim Rome Show today to make an official announcement:

Yes, it’s official. Ronda Rousey did sign with the UFC…Over the next two years, we’ve got really good opponents for her.”

White also brought up the hottie/murderer dichotomy that makes her so oddly compelling to him:

“She’s beautiful,” White said. “But deep down inside, she’s a killer.”

Rousey also let the cat out of the bag on Twitter, writing: “Okay I admit it…I’m officially a @ufc fighter 🙂 SO excited! Can’t wait to debut! Let @danawhite know who you want my 1st opponent to be!”

Well…about that. It’s probably not going to be Cris Cyborg, and the only other woman who has reportedly been signed by the UFC is Miesha Tate — and I don’t see an immediate rematch of that massacre in anybody’s future. So who else is there? Want to give us any hints about these “really good opponents,” Dana? Sara McMann…where you at, girl?


(Props: Ronda Rousey’s Facebook page)

Confirming earlier reports that Ronda Rousey had become the first woman to be signed by the UFC, Dana White went on the Jim Rome Show today to make an official announcement:

Yes, it’s official. Ronda Rousey did sign with the UFC…Over the next two years, we’ve got really good opponents for her.”

White also brought up the hottie/murderer dichotomy that makes her so oddly compelling to him:

“She’s beautiful,” White said. “But deep down inside, she’s a killer.”

Rousey also let the cat out of the bag on Twitter, writing: “Okay I admit it…I’m officially a @ufc fighter :) SO excited! Can’t wait to debut! Let @danawhite know who you want my 1st opponent to be!”

Well…about that. It’s probably not going to be Cris Cyborg, and the only other woman who has reportedly been signed by the UFC is Miesha Tate — and I don’t see an immediate rematch of that massacre in anybody’s future. So who else is there? Want to give us any hints about these “really good opponents,” Dana? Sara McMann…where you at, girl?

Cris Cyborg’s Doctor Declares Her Unfit to Drop to 135, Ronda Rousey’s Manager Calls Bullshit


(Cris Cyborg: The Madonna of MMA. / Photo via Strikeforce)

With women’s 135-pound champion Ronda Rousey and former 145-pound champ Cris Cyborg still split on which weight they would meet at for their fantasyland matchup, Cyborg has pulled the old “doctor’s note” move. Members of the Cyborg camp told MMAWeekly yesterday that the dynamic Brazilian striker — who is still serving out her one-year steroid suspension — met with her doctors recently, and was informed that a cut to 135 pounds wouldn’t be safe:

Her cardiologist stated emphatically that he would not sign off on a move down a weight class based on her current health. The dangers to her body could also prohibit Santos from carrying a child later in life, and according to her camp, that was a risk the former Strikeforce champion was unwilling to make for any fight. Santos’ walking around weight currently hovers around 160lbs and the 25lb cut would just be too much for her body according to her doctors.

I mean…Cyborg looks like she could probably cut 10 pounds in excess back-muscle alone, but hey, I’m no doctor — I’m only a humble Female Body Inspector. In response, Rousey’s manager Darin Harvey pointed out the obvious:


(Cris Cyborg: The Madonna of MMA. / Photo via Strikeforce)

With women’s 135-pound champion Ronda Rousey and former 145-pound champ Cris Cyborg still split on which weight they would meet at for their fantasyland matchup, Cyborg has pulled the old “doctor’s note” move. Members of the Cyborg camp told MMAWeekly yesterday that the dynamic Brazilian striker — who is still serving out her one-year steroid suspension — met with her doctors recently, and was informed that a cut to 135 pounds wouldn’t be safe:

Her cardiologist stated emphatically that he would not sign off on a move down a weight class based on her current health. The dangers to her body could also prohibit Santos from carrying a child later in life, and according to her camp, that was a risk the former Strikeforce champion was unwilling to make for any fight. Santos’ walking around weight currently hovers around 160lbs and the 25lb cut would just be too much for her body according to her doctors.

I mean…Cyborg looks like she could probably cut 10 pounds in excess back-muscle alone, but hey, I’m no doctor — I’m only a humble Female Body Inspector. In response, Rousey’s manager Darin Harvey pointed out the obvious:

“If you ask five doctors, you’ll get five different opinions. I guarantee you, you can find doctors that’ll say the weight cut will be fine…. It all depends on what side they’re working for. It’s her doctor. If you’re going to trial, I can find a professional witness to make you look innocent or make you look guilty…. I don’t want to see anyone get hurt long-term … but my personal belief is she can lose the weight. She would just prefer an advantage to fight at 145 pounds. And I think we have the advantage at 135…

We want that fight because it’s a big money fight. We want to fight Cyborg and I think Ronda can beat her at any weight. But I believe if she’s not taking drugs, 135 pounds will be absolutely no problem…. At the end of the day, it’s up to Ronda. I would advise against it because I would like to do everything to get Cyborg down to 135 pounds, but I know it’s the fight the world wants to see. I think it’s a million-plus Pay-Per-View fight, so we have to take those things into consideration.”

Well, “a million-plus buys may be a cute little exaggeration, but Harvey makes a valid point, and Cyborg doesn’t have a leg to stand on in this argument. Between the two fighters, Ronda is the only one with a title belt, and Ronda is the only one that Dana White is seemingly interested in doing business with. Meanwhile, Cyborg is a disgraced steroid cheat who will need to accept the fight on Ronda’s terms for the right to redeem herself.

So do the right thing, Cris: Hire Mike Dolce, alter your workouts a bit to shed some muscle, and do whatever it takes to set up the UFC’s first women’s title fight, at a weight where a belt already exists. It might suck, but it’s what you need to do to stay relevant. You’re in Rondaland, now.

Kathy Long: Ronda Rousey ‘Stands a Good Chance’ vs. UFC Bantamweight Men

Ronda Rousey is widely considered the top pound-for-pound fighter in women’s MMA, but how would she fare in the men’s division?Five-time kickboxing world champion Kathy Long believes Rousey could not only compete, but she thinks the Strikeforce women’s…

Ronda Rousey is widely considered the top pound-for-pound fighter in women’s MMA, but how would she fare in the men’s division?

Five-time kickboxing world champion Kathy Long believes Rousey could not only compete, but she thinks the Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champ would stand a good chance against UFC bantamweight men.

“I think if anybody’s willing to go in and continue to train with men, they stand a good chance when fighting against men,” Long said on “The MMA Hour” with Ariel Helwani. “When I was boxing as an amateur a long time ago, I only had males to fight against, and I won [against] all of them. So I think [Rousey] stands a good chance.”

Rousey is noted for having trained with the Diaz brothers and Manny Gamburyan.

Still, there is something to be said about training and an actual fight. It’s hard to envision Rousey or any woman taking damage from Renan Barao, Dominick Cruz or Urijah Faber. The overall physical makeup between men and women is different.

At 135-pounds, every UFC fighter in the bantamweight division would have a strength and speed advantage over Rousey.

Luckily, MMA isn’t just about speed and strength. The most important aspect of fighting lies in technique, and Rousey‘s Olympic level Judo and ever-improving Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills give her a chance against all opposition, regardless of sex.

Long continues in her interview with Helwani:

“You know, all of my sparring partners were, and always have been, men, who are bigger, stronger and heavier than me. Because of that, I’ve learned to hit very, very hard, because I’ve had to. They were willing to beat the crap out of me, literally, and that’s what made me who I am. That’s how I got five world titles, because of all of my sparring partners. Did I hurt them? Yes. Did they hurt me? Yes.”

It’s a real possibility Rousey could beat amateur bantamweights and possibly even some lower-end pros.

As for UFC fighters, it would be tough for her to overcome the physical advantages held over her by some of the best fighters in the world.

Rousey is still one fighter you should never count out.

One mistake is all it would take to be the first man subbed and embarrassed in the Octagon with a first-round armbar.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC Should Move On with Rousey vs. Tate Rematch, Cut Cheating Cris Cyborg Loose

No one should have any sympathy for Cris “Cyborg” Justino.From violently demolishing over-matched opponents to years of suspected drug use, the former Strikeforce women’s featherweight champion has dug her own grave.Quite frankly, it’s disgusting that …

No one should have any sympathy for Cris “Cyborg” Justino.

From violently demolishing over-matched opponents to years of suspected drug use, the former Strikeforce women’s featherweight champion has dug her own grave.

Quite frankly, it’s disgusting that the UFC is even entertaining the idea of signing Cyborg to a catchweight superfight with Ronda Rousey. Once again, Dana White is chasing the biggest payoff possible while not considering the long term.

Despite the fact that Rousey has only been in the MMA game for little more than two years, the Olympic bronze medalist has almost undone all the damage caused to the women’s division by Cyborg’s lengthy reign.

By that token alone, the burden should be on Cyborg to cut down to 135 pounds, not for Rousey to meet her in the middle.

Oh, but it gets better—Cyborg’s excuses for not wanting (or being able) to cut weight are as varied as they are convenient.

Rousey’s just scared she’ll get beaten up. Cyborg’s frame is naturally too big to safely trim down. Ronda’s been dominant at 145 pounds before. A paltry 10 pounds shouldn’t be such a big deal.

And most recently, Cyborg’s newest angle is that the weight cut could potentially damage her ability to give birth, according to the latest word from MMA Weekly. Justino still wants to have a child one day, so the UFC and athletic commissions should relent and let her fight at “Cyborgweight.”

Well, that’s too bad.

Like it or not, Cyborg’s case would be more understandable if she wasn’t a doppelganger for Lou Ferrigno’s thumb. But Justino dug her own grave the minute she tested positive for anabolic steroids and subsequently got herself suspended.

That throws her whole career into question, especially her build and figure. For years, Cyborg’s strength was much like the Alistair Overeem situation, where people suspected steroid use but couldn’t say anything for sure.

Given the utter savagery she’s displayed against the likes of Jan Finney and Hiroko Yamanaka, it’s reasonable to assume that Cyborg’s drug use extends beyond the training camp for her last fight, and as a result, she almost killed the featherweight division and ruined women’s MMA.

With that kind of history behind her, Cyborg’s worries about damaging her body should not be some kind of excuse to force Rousey to move up. If anything, Cyborg’s career should be over due to her inability to move between weight divisions.

After all, just what kind of precedent does it set for Cyborg to get her way?

Miesha Tate is right when she says that her rival isn’t single-handedly responsible for bringing women’s MMA to the UFC. It’s really a combination of Rousey’s star power, Invicta FC’s niche success and Strikeforce’s dedication to female fighters, even when there weren’t many matches to make.

If Cyborg wants to go home and be a family woman, she should be free to do so.

Let her leave.

She’ll be easily forgotten.

Besides, you have to admit that the irony here is staggeringly poignant. Cyborg actively smashed the 145-pound division until Gina Carano left and there were no viable stars.

As a direct result, the UFC might focus solely on bantamweight, leaving Justino in the cold.

Instead of cashing in on a superfight that pits a rising star against a known steroid abuser, the UFC can actually go the extra mile and build up a few challengers. Sign worldwide talent. You know, basic stuff. Do a little extra legwork, Joe Silva.

Rousey’s star will rise without Cyborg, especially if the UFC does something as bold as an all-women’s season of TUF with Tate as a coach. Cyborg isn’t worth the trouble, and the UFC shouldn’t pander to the Brazilian Bomber.

[McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist and FightFans Radio writer. His work has appeared in GamePro, Macworld and PC World. Talk with him on Twitter.]

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Chael Sonnen: Rampage Can’t Beat Ronda Rousey

Chael Sonnen believes that even Ronda Rousey would beat Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at this point in his career.In an interview with TMZ, Sonnen congratulated Rousey on being the first woman to ever sign a UFC contract, but the interview couldn’t be comp…

Chael Sonnen believes that even Ronda Rousey would beat Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at this point in his career.

In an interview with TMZ, Sonnen congratulated Rousey on being the first woman to ever sign a UFC contract, but the interview couldn’t be complete without the self-proclaimed “Oregon Gangster” taking a verbal swipe at his old pal Rampage.

“I’d like to congratulate Ronda Rousey on becoming a pioneer in the sport. It’s well-deserved and overdue,” said Sonnen. “Looks like Mitt Romney has a new favorite fighter and Rampage Jackson has another opponent he can’t beat.”

The back-and-forth jawing between Sonnen and Rampage has been going on for several weeks.

During an appearance on “Inside MMA,” Rampage said Sonnen “sucks” and talks unnecessary trash.

Sonnen has shown a knack for getting under people’s skin. During his historic feud with Anderson Silva, he had the entire country of Brazil in an uproar over some of the controversial comments he made in the media.

Nothing is off-limits for Sonnen when it comes to putting together another clever punchline.

Rampage admits that he is guilty of engaging in a little trash talk as well, but he believes Sonnen tends to overstep boundaries.

During that appearance, the former light heavyweight champ explained:

“I talk trash, but the thing is, I talk trash about people I’m actually going to fight, who are actually in my weight class. This guy talks trash about ring girls, about people that are not even in his weight class. He talks trash about the President. Now, that’s a little bit too much. It’s very disrespectful.”

With Sonnen moving up to the light heavyweight division, there is hope that the UFC could one day put this grudge match together.

As of now, the chances seem slim at best.

While Sonnen gets a crack at UFC champ Jon Jones in April, Rampage is expected to face Glover Teixeira in January in what could be his final fight in the UFC. 

Unless a new deal is made, the only punches these two light heavyweight stars throw at one another will be verbal.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC News: Ronda Rousey’s Manager Says She Has Not Joined the UFC

“Rowdy” Ronda Rousey, the reigning Strikeforce bantamweight champion, is yet to sign a contract to the UFC. Her manager said as much in an interview with Sports Illustrated on Friday. “Right now, nothing has changed,” said Darin Harvey of Fight Tr…

“Rowdy” Ronda Rousey, the reigning Strikeforce bantamweight champion, is yet to sign a contract to the UFC. Her manager said as much in an interview with Sports Illustrated on Friday. 

“Right now, nothing has changed,” said Darin Harvey of Fight Tribe (Rousey‘s manager), regarding her current Strikeforce contract. 

He also told Sports Illustrated that Rousey was en route to a weekend appearance in Las Vegas to fly with the Thunderbirds, the Air Force demonstration squadron, not to sign a deal with the UFC. 

Media gossip website TMZ.com was the first media outlet to report that Rousey had signed with the UFC Thursday evening. 

The report was very plausible given the fact that Strikeforce had announced that their card in January will be their last.

Reigning champions Gilbert Melendez, Nate Marquardt and Luke Rockhold will defend their titles on the card and Heavyweight Grand Prix winner Daniel Cormier is scheduled to fight at the event as well.

The latest news regarding Rousey in the UFC is particularly puzzling given the fact that Miesha Tate, the opponent Rousey won the belt from in March, tweeted she had also signed a contract with the UFC Thursday night. 

“So Stoked to be fighting for the  it’s been a dream of mine for along time! SO happy it’s finally come true :-D,” Tate said on her Twitter page. 

Rousey, who has won all six of her professional MMA fights via an armbar in the first round, most recently submitted Sarah Kaufman in just 54 seconds in her August title defense.

UFC president Dana White has been a long-time supporter of Rousey, but is yet to comment about about whether or not she is now officially a part of the world’s premiere MMA organization. 

Rousey is also yet to comment on whether or not she has indeed inked a deal with the UFC.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com