Tag: UFC 170

UFC 170 Results: 3 Fights for Sara McMann to Take Next

Sara McMann came up short at UFC 170 against Ronda Rousey and was all class in defeat.
The Las Vegas crowd booed the stoppage, but McMann didn’t use it as an excuse. She complimented the champion, ment…

Sara McMann came up short at UFC 170 against Ronda Rousey and was all class in defeat.

The Las Vegas crowd booed the stoppage, but McMann didn’t use it as an excuse. She complimented the champion, mentioned that it is referee Herb Dean’s responsibility to protect the fighters and said that she would came back to fight whomever the UFC wanted.

The stoppage by Dean keeps McMann high on the list of potential challengers to Rousey. The fans were not pleased by it, and thus it keeps her as a credible option for the UFC moving forward. However, with Cat Zingano and Alexis Davis waiting for their shot, McMann will need at least one more win.

Here are three options for McMann’s next foe.

 

Winner of Sarah Kaufman vs. Shayna Baszler

Sarah Kaufman is ranked No. 6 in the division, and Baszler sits just outside the Top 15. The two will meet at The Ultimate Fighter: Nations finale.

McMann and Kaufman were scheduled for an August 2013 meeting, but McMann had to pull out for undisclosed reasons. If Kaufman were to beat Baszler, Kaufman vs. McMann would be a good choice for a UFC title eliminator between two top contenders.

As for Baszler, she fought McMann at Invicta FC 2 in a very close fight that could have gone her way. It would be an interesting rematch for McMann to take in the interim as Rousey defends her gold against another challenger.

Whoever comes away with a win between Kaufman and Baszler deserves a top-tier opponent like McMann.

 

Jessica Eye

Eye, ranked No. 5 in the division, was also on the UFC 170 card. She lost a narrow decision to Davis.

The UFC could pit the two against each other in a key bantamweight tilt for later this year.

It makes sense from a timing perspective and where they are both currently in the division. However, I am not so sure the winner would be in title contention due to both coming off losses. For that reason, the UFC might consider not making the bout.

The winner of Eye vs. McMann would still have to fight once more to earn a shot. Is that what the UFC wants for McMann?

 

Alexis Davis or Cat Zingano

Whichever top contender does not get the Rousey fight later this year is the top option for McMann.

The UFC could place Davis vs. McMann as the co-main event to a Rousey title defense, and it would play as a title eliminator. Or, if Zingano cannot come back to challenge right away, McMann vs. Zingano could be on any main card.

Davis or Zingano most certainly has next, and whichever does not get Rousey needs to fight and stay active in the interim. McMann is the best possible option due to her standing in the division.

The UFC would instantly have the next challenger waiting in the wings.

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UFC 170 Results: 3 Fights for Ronda Rousey to Take Next

Ronda Rousey put away challenger Sara McMann with a knee to the body, and Bruce Buffer had to announce, “And still…” at UFC 170.
The champion continues her reign of dominance. The question now shifts to who’s next?
The bantamweight divisi…

Ronda Rousey put away challenger Sara McMann with a knee to the body, and Bruce Buffer had to announce, “And still…” at UFC 170.

The champion continues her reign of dominance. The question now shifts to who’s next?

The bantamweight division is not the deepest in the UFC, but there are options for the UFC matchmakers to consider. Rousey will go off to film two movies, giving them time to assess their options.

Rousey made mention in the Fox Sports post-fight interview that she would like to return to action in late summer.

Here are three females the UFC can select for Rousey‘s next fight.

 

Cris Justino

This is the least likely option, and it is an option the UFC should put out of its misery—at least right now. However, it is an option because it is the fight the fans want. That should never go overlooked for a promoter.

Cyborg is one of the top women in the sport, but she is not even signed to the UFC. Nor has she proved she can drop to 135 pounds.

The UFC could always sign her, but considering the above, she shouldn’t be an option. UFC president Dana White confirmed as much in his Fox Sports interview by saying she needs to fight a couple of times at 135 outside the UFC first.

The fans give a hard time to the UFC for pushing testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) users on their cards, but they clamor for the UFC to give an immediate title shot to Cyborg, who tested positive for steroids just three fights ago. Fans are hypocritical.

Regardless, because of their fervor for the matchup, it should be at least talked about.

 

Alexis Davis

Davis inched by Jessica Eye at UFC 170 with a split decision victory. The meeting between two top-five bantamweights should put Davis on the cusp of a title shot.

The skilled submission artist would be a steep underdog. Nevertheless, the fact remains that she has earned the right for a title shot. With five straight wins and being ranked in the top three of the division, she has put herself in the title talk.

Davis should be next in line behind Cat Zingano.

 

Cat Zingano

Zingano is the top-ranked challenger in the division, and she earned her title shot by defeating Miesha Tate in early 2013.

Injuries forced Zingano out of action, but she is still ranked as the top challenger. If healthy, she should be next in line.

As Davis inserted herself as another top contender, the UFC has options. If Zingano is not in peak form, it can go with Davis and allow Zingano to knock off the dust against someone else, or it can have Davis sit and fight the winner of Rousey-Zingano.

Zingano is a very interesting challenger to Rousey.

She is a good athlete with very good jiu-jitsu. She is continuing to develop her striking, but what makes her striking an interesting challenge for Rousey is that Zingano possesses real power. She can do damage with her fists, knees and legs.

The UFC has two top quality bantamweights signed and ready for their title shots. It’s up to it to decide in which order they challenge.

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UFC 170 Post-Fight Stock Report

UFC 170 saw Ronda Rousey defend her UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship in dominant fashion once again.
She took out Sara McMann with a vicious knee to the body. Now the champion will go off to film a couple of movies before returning to defend her t…

UFC 170 saw Ronda Rousey defend her UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship in dominant fashion once again.

She took out Sara McMann with a vicious knee to the body. Now the champion will go off to film a couple of movies before returning to defend her title once more.

There were 10 more fights on the card and a lot of talking points after the event. Many top contenders made statements on both the main and preliminary cards. Raphael Assuncao made his case for being next in line for Renan Barao’s bantamweight strap, and Alexis Davis may be next up for Rousey.

Following the event, some fighters improved their position, while others took a step back.

Here is a look at the UFC 170 post-fight stock report.

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Nick Diaz Holding out for Title Shot, Dana White Won’t Give Him 1

Former Strikeforce welterweight champion and former UFC welterweight title contender Nick Diaz was in attendance at UFC 170 to cheer on friend and occasional training partner Ronda Rousey. 
Speaking with MMA Junkie, t…

Former Strikeforce welterweight champion and former UFC welterweight title contender Nick Diaz was in attendance at UFC 170 to cheer on friend and occasional training partner Ronda Rousey. 

Speaking with MMA Junkie, the controversial (yet still ridiculously popular) fighter opened up on his future and, essentially, said his return to competition is either immediate title shot or bust at this time.

“I’ve been fighting for 11 years…I don’t have to take a warmup fight,” he said. “What, am I going to take a warmup fight, to help somebody out? Bring them up to my level? Because I’ve already been through that, and you still haven’t seen me take an ass-whupping.”

Diaz, more or less, retired from MMA following his lopsided decision loss to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 158. However, there have been consistent rumbles regarding a possible return ever since, and it had been previously stated that a title shot would be the proper bait to lure him back into the Octagon.

Diaz is one of the most popular fighters in the sport, but UFC president Dana White indicated he is unwilling to give him a crack at the belt at this time. “It’s not even worth talking about,” he stated at the UFC 170 post-fight media scrum. “He hasn’t fought, he hasn’t wanted a fight, he’s not even in the conversation.”

While that’s rough news for fans of the skilled veteran, Diaz stated he is content at this time without MMA competition. He is recuperating from 11 years of nonstop competition and is tackling the formidable task of moving to a new house.

Still, he didn’t completely close the door on his return, suggesting he might be willing to put the gloves back on this summer. If so, potential opponents are waiting for him such as Rory MacDonald, Carlos Condit and, just maybe, the loser of the upcoming welterweight title fight between Robbie Lawler and Johny Hendricks.

We’ll see what happens with Diaz‘s fighting future in the coming months. 

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Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Justino Calls out Ronda Rousey, Dana White Shoots It Down

Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino made some waves earlier yesterday when she announced her plan to drop to 135 pounds in order to “retire” Ronda Rousey on Axs TV’s Inside MMA. Shortly after Rousey defended her belt from Sara McMann in the UFC 170 main event, …

Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino made some waves earlier yesterday when she announced her plan to drop to 135 pounds in order to “retire” Ronda Rousey on Axs TV’s Inside MMA. Shortly after Rousey defended her belt from Sara McMann in the UFC 170 main event, she called out the champ. Via Twitter:

While fans and media alike have been clamoring for a Rousey vs. Cyborg superfight for years now, Dana White shot down the notion that the fight would happen anytime soon when asked about Cyborg’s statements at the UFC 170 post-fight press conference. Our own Jeremy Botter tweeted the statement:

That said, he did not close the door on it as a possible option down the line:

That, however, may just doom any hopes for the fight.

Cyborg stated, on the advice of her doctor, she was only willing to take three fights at 135 pounds. The UFC, regardless of whether or not the former Strikeforce and current Invicta FC champion makes the weight once or twice, would almost certainly be unwilling to bring aboard Cyborg if they only had her for a short length of time. The potential for Cyborg beating Rousey, earning the belt and immediately vacating it is very real, and something the UFC simply wouldn’t be willing to put up with.

Because of that, unless Cyborg is willing to commit to fighting at 135 pounds for an indefinite length of time, she will not get a crack at Rousey, or likely even get a chance in the UFC (unless the promotion suddenly introduces a women’s featherweight division, which is incredibly unlikely). 

It will be interesting to see if Justino decides to either shed several pounds of muscle to make the cut easier, or if she remains content dominating competition in both MMA and kickboxing.

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UFC 170 Results: Rory MacDonald Steals the Show

Make no mistake about it; anyone looking to stand out from the pack at UFC 170 had a big task ahead of them.
The headlining bout alone was destined to be hard to top given the principals involved: two undefeated Olympians, women, putting it all on the …

Make no mistake about it; anyone looking to stand out from the pack at UFC 170 had a big task ahead of them.

The headlining bout alone was destined to be hard to top given the principals involved: two undefeated Olympians, women, putting it all on the line following a level of hype and attention that only a superstar like Ronda Rousey could bring.

Then, there was the upstart, Patrick Cummins, in the ultimate underdog role; if he could pull off a highly improbable upset, he would go from the coffee house to light heavyweight spoiler and a prime contender in the Jon Jones sweepstakes.

After the smoke from the event had cleared Saturday night in Las Vegas, more than a few fighters had made a case for themselves. Erik Koch scored a first-round stoppage against the overmatched Rafaello Oliveira, Stephen Thompson displayed his striking prowess by finishing Robert Whittaker inside of five minutes and Mike Pyle earned a brutal finish over TJ Waldburger late in Round 3.

But amid all the hype, talk of upsets, decisions and stoppages, one fighter re-established himself against a very tough opponent and stole the show: Rory MacDonald.

After being thoroughly dominated on the ground in the first round, MacDonald came out strong and looked very much like a man who realized he was going to have to fight for all he was worth in order to avoid a second straight loss.

In Round 2, he managed to stuff the takedown attempts of Demian Maia as if the discouraging events of the first frame had never happened. Not only that, but he took advantage of the fatigue of his opponent, landing a good jab and a hard kick to the body.

As Maia continued to try to press forward, MacDonald went to work, wobbling the Brazilian with stiff punches while turning the tide in convincing fashion.

As the third and final frame began, it looked like MacDonald had all the momentum until Maia got a takedown. Suddenly, MacDonald was exactly where he didn’t want to be—under a submission wizard who had forgotten more about grappling than he was likely to learn.

Once again, MacDonald proved he wanted the victory by fighting hard, defending himself on the ground until he landed an excellent sweep that saw him regain his feet.

From there, MacDonald fought to get back the advantage, landing well on the feet with good strikes, including a hard uppercut.

It was exactly the kind of performance he needed in order to put him back into title contention. He rallied back from serious adversity on two occasions, fought hard, pressed the action and looked every bit like a man who wanted to win more than anything.

On a night that saw decisions and first-round finishes, MacDonald defeated a very dangerous opponent in an exciting fight that reminded us just what he is capable of when he puts his mind to it.

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