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Ronda Rousey Must Win at UFC 175 to Maintain Women’s MMA’s Popularity

Not only is Ronda Rousey the biggest star in women’s MMA, but it can also be argued that she is the biggest star in MMA as a whole. With that in mind, a victory over Alexis Davis at UFC 175 is paramount in terms of continuing the growth of her division…

Rousey is a perfect 9-0, and she will put the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship on the line Saturday night. Rousey is a heavy favorite due largely to her devastating armbar, but Davis poses an interesting challenge with her jiu-jitsu background.

While parity is usually a good thing in sports, that isn’t necessarily the case when it comes to a growing one like women’s MMA.

There is no question that there are many skilled and talented female fighters in the UFC right now. Hardcore MMA fans are fully aware of that, but many fringe followers watch only for Rousey due to her mainstream appeal.

Having a single dominant force like Rousey is important for the sport right now. More stars will emerge over time, but nobody is ready to assume that role quite yet.

Rousey is popular not only because she is a great fighter, but also because she stars in other realms such as movies and oozes charisma as well. Some might argue that Davis might be capable of carrying the flag for women’s MMA if she hands Rousey her first loss, but they are two very different people.

As pointed out by UFC Canada, Davis isn’t a particularly boisterous individual:

According to MMAjunkie.com, that is a fact that Davis admits and views as the main thing that has held her back during her career:

I’m going to be fair: I kind of brought it on myself a lot. … Look, obviously Ronda got where she was. She’s very vocal, and she backed it up wholeheartedly. But that’s one thing I always say I’ve had to work on. I think I would have got a title shot long before if I had that ability more.

Fighters who refrain from talking trash can still be valuable assets, but they will struggle to carry the brand. Rousey is the total package in that regard, so it is important that she remains undefeated.

Purists will tune in to see a competitive fight, but casual fans want to see stars like Rousey win in dominant fashion. She will still have some level of appeal if she loses; however, a blemish on her record will definitely reduce the luster.

On top of that, Rousey is fully committed to leading the charge for women’s MMA. It was initially revealed that Rousey planned to take some time off following UFC 175 regardless of the result, according to UFC on Fox:

Despite that, Rousey admitted that she would be willing to fight again as soon as UFC’s next pay-per-view if necessary, per Marc Raimondi of FoxSports.com:

That pretty much says it all about Rousey‘s mentality. She will always have her detractors, and there will always be people gunning for her, but there is no questioning her importance to women’s MMA.

The sport was somewhat on the ascent prior to Rousey bursting onto the scene; however, she has brought it mainstream and forced the UFC to take notice. She is women’s MMA and will continue to be for as long as she remains on top of her game.

For the sake of women’s MMA, a Rousey win at UFC 175 is unquestionably the desired result.

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UFC 175: Chris Weidman, Ronda Rousey and Predictions for Entire Card

There are many UFC shows nowadays, but the UFC 175 pay-per-view featuring both Chris Weidman and Ronda Rousey defending their championships will separate itself as one of the best MMA cards of 2014.
With a card that features Weidman defending the …

There are many UFC shows nowadays, but the UFC 175 pay-per-view featuring both Chris Weidman and Ronda Rousey defending their championships will separate itself as one of the best MMA cards of 2014.

With a card that features Weidman defending the UFC Middleweight Championship against Lyoto Machida and Ronda Rousey battling Alexis Davis for the Women’s Bantamweight Championship, fight fans won’t want to miss this event.

Here is the full match card, predictions for every match and a preview of the most interesting bout on Saturday night.

Match of the Night: Ronda Rousey vs. Alexis Davis

While most fans will be focused on the battle between Weidman and Machida, the potential fight of the night could be the co-main event featuring Rousey vs. Davis.

MMA Infographics has a great visual comparison between the two fighters:

Rousey comes into this bout as the heavy favorite. She is the four-time defending champion, and no woman has been able to step into the Octagon with her and finish the fight. In nine career bouts, she is undefeated and has only been out of the first round once.

During her undefeated stretch, the champion has eight submission victories and a TKO win.

When asked about her mindset heading into her fight against Davis, Rousey told Michael Huang of ESPNW.com that she is focused on building her legacy and expects greatness when she looks back on her career:

It’s getting to the point where I’ve accomplished so much that I’m really starting to think of what kind of legacy I leave behind. I’m envious of seeing Royce Gracie at the UFC events, and you can see him with a look of contentment and accomplishment. This is something he did. I really want that opportunity in the future to sit and watch women fight in the UFC with regularity and think, ‘Wow, I was part of that.’

There is no doubt that Rousey deserves to be confident as the most decorated female fighter of all time already, but she is still a vicious competitor. She understands that Davis will bring everything she has to the table and will be looking for a war.

Former UFC star Kenny Florian shared on UFC Tonight what Davis needs to beat Rousey:

Even if Davis brings the best jiu-jitsu game she can, it still may not be enough to stop the Olympic-caliber judoka from pushing the pace of the fight and dictating her will on the challenger.

Rousey proved in her three-round bout with Miesha Tate that cardio and endurance won’t be an issue if the fight drags on, but the bad news for Davis came when Rousey destroyed Sara McMann with a knee to the body that ended the fight.

As if Davis didn’t have to prepare enough for Rousey‘s ever-dangerous armbar, now she has to contend with the defending champion’s evolving striking. That’s a task too tall to tame.

Prediction: Rousey via first-round submission

*Stats via UFC.com.

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UFC 175 Predictions: Picking Winner of Each Main Card Fight

We’re in for quite an event on Saturday night from Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, as two titles are on the line at UFC 175.
The main card puts the UFC middleweight title and women’s UFC bantamweight title up for grabs, as Chris Weidman will look to co…

We’re in for quite an event on Saturday night from Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, as two titles are on the line at UFC 175.

The main card puts the UFC middleweight title and women’s UFC bantamweight title up for grabs, as Chris Weidman will look to continue his dominance in his weight class and Ronda Rousey attempts to keep her unbeaten streak alive against Alexis Davis.

With those two fights, plus another three on the evening’s main card, expect to see some fireworks from a bevy of talent inside the Octagon.

So, as we await these fights, one simple question lingers on our minds: Who will win?

Let’s pick the winner of each fight on Saturday’s main card.

Marcus Brimage vs. Russell Doane

The opening fight of the main card should get things off to a relatively fast start in what figures to be a very evenly matched contest.

Brimage is a solid striker and can take a shot to the jaw. He has a nice list of victories against solid competition but recently lost his last outing via a Round 1 knockout by Conor McGregor.

Doane is a well-rounded fighter and light on his feet; however, if he can’t get himself into a rhythm, he won’t outlast Brimage.

Prediction: Brimage via decision

Uriah Hall vs. Thiago Santos

Hall is a capable striker, and his victory over Chris Leben speaks volumes for what he’s capable of; however, he must maintain his focus to earn a win here.

Santos is a knockout artist. He doesn’t attempt to go to the ground—he just wants to stand and fight. He made this bold statement, courtesy of MMAJunkie:

Both of these athletes are at their best when standing, but the nod has to go to the fighter who is more consistent on his feet.

Prediction: Santos via decision

Stefan Struve vs. Matt Mitrione

Struve returns after a long layoff from fighting. At 7’0″, he’s an absolute giant who has tallied a nice victory count over quality competitors. His length allows him to excel in the submission game, using his long legs and reach to wrap up an opponent.

He also appears fired up for this fight:

Mitrione is completely the opposite. He’s best on his feet and has pinpoint accuracy when striking. While he’s a capable boxer, he also has a solid defense, but he must be wary of Struve‘s sneaky takedown attempts.

The win goes to experience here.

Prediction: Struve via submission

Ronda Rousey vs. Alexis Davis

Rousey will look to increase her undefeated record; however, it won’t be easy against a gritty Davis.

Davis is excellent on the ground, both offensively and defensively, and could give Rousey a run for her money when it comes to pulling off one of her signature armbar submissions.

Nevertheless, Rousey‘s expertise on the ground is second to none. She’s a master of the armbar, and once she applies it, there’s practically no escape.

Here’s a strong opinion of Rousey, courtesy of UFC News:

With both of these fighters possibly looking to take the bout to the ground early, the outcome will inevitably come down to which competitor has the best ground attack on the evening.

Rousey should be able to retain her title; however, Davis has enough defense to keep her out of the armbar and force the fight to go the distance.

Prediction: Rousey via decision

Chris Weidman vs. Lyoto Machida

This main event has the makings of becoming one for the ages.

Weidman enters the fight as the undefeated champion after beating one of the greatest fighters of all time in Anderson Silva.

The definition of an all-around fighter, Weidman has a perfect blend of pinpoint striking, textbook wrestling and devastating takedowns. Capable of doing it all, he will be a tall order for Machida to handle.

Getting in a full training camp makes Weidman even tougher, and according to a tweet from UFC Tonight, he’s done exactly that:

On the other hand, Machida has some great qualities of his own. A brilliant striker, he’s no stranger to standing toe-to-toe with an opponent, resulting in one of his many knockdowns. He also boasts a strong defense and can avoid takedowns—a trait that will help him against the champion.

What it all comes down to here is how easily Weidman can find his range. He will respect Machida‘s ability as a striker but has too much power, technique and finishing ability to be denied a victory once he establishes his position in the Octagon.

Prediction: Weidman via TKO

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UFC 175 Start Time: Complete Viewing Guide and PPV Schedule for Marquee Event

In an era of UFC where the market is saturated with events on an almost weekly basis, UFC 175 stands out as a truly special card.
The stakes are certainly there. With Chris Weidman and Ronda Rousey looking to cement their places as UFC champions …

In an era of UFC where the market is saturated with events on an almost weekly basis, UFC 175 stands out as a truly special card.

The stakes are certainly there. With Chris Weidman and Ronda Rousey looking to cement their places as UFC champions against Lyoto Machida and Alexis Davis respectively, fans will be treated to the rare two-title card.

Depth isn’t really an issue, either. Outside of the two title fights, fan favorites such as Matt Mitrione, Urijah Faber and Uriah Hall can also be seen in action Saturday. Below is a look at all of the fights on the slate and how you can watch all of them.

Storylines to Watch

Chris Weidman Attempts to Legitimize Middleweight Title Reign

Chris Weidman earned the middleweight championship against Anderson Silva at UFC 162. He then went on to defend that title against the former middleweight king when Silva fell victim to a broken leg at UFC 168.

These facts are indisputable. The merits of those two accomplishments, however, have been questioned. Be it a stubborn belief that the former champion was truly invincible or a legitimate claim that the second fight ended in freaky fashion, Weidman just can’t seem to get the credit he deserves.

Despite being an All-American fighting in America on an Independence Day show, he was received with plenty of boos at the weigh-ins for the event, per Bleacher Report MMA:

However, a win against Machida would solidify Weidman‘s status as a true champion. Conceptually, Machida is an opponent much like Silva. His striking is top-notch, he can end the fight at a moment’s notice with his counter-striking ability and could have better takedown defense than Silva.

Weidman has become a divisive fighter among fans. There are those who believe his two victories against Silva were a sign of future domination in the middleweight division. To others, he’s still the guy who got “lucky” against Silva—twice.

When he steps into the Octagon against Machida, one side will have a strong piece of evidence to add to the debate.

Can Alex Caceres Take Advantage of Spotlight?

The UFC made an interesting choice with Saturday’s fight card. Fan favorite (and UFC 169 headliner) Urijah Faber will be on the live and free prelims before the broadcast switches over to the pay-per-view.

In theory, this may hurt pay-per-view buys. Faber’s personality and style made him a big draw in his WEC days. However, it also means that the prelims should see an uptick in viewership.

Looking to take advantage of that spike in viewership will be Alex Caceres. The 26-year-old “Bruce Leeroy” is well-known from his days on The Ultimate Fighter, but he hasn’t had a fight quite like this to showcase his skills.

Now is the time for Caceres to make the leap from recognizable name to actual contender.

Doing that will be difficult, though. As Josh Gross notes, Faber’s veteran savvy could be the difference.

With Faber looking to rebound from his loss to Renan Barao at UFC 169 and Caceres looking to capitalize on the opportunity, this one is bound to produce some fireworks.

Stefan Struve Returns to the Octagon

At one point, it looked like Stefan Struve was on his way to becoming a legitimate contender. At seven feet tall, his unique frame made him fun to watch, and he had a four-fight win streak that featured two submissions and two TKO victories.

A devastating knockout loss to Mark Hunt put an end to that hype. But even worse, doctors discovered a bicuspid aortic valve in Struve‘s heart that threatened his career. The previously undetected heart condition often left the heavyweight with just 70 percent of the blood his body needed, per Steven Marrocco of MMA Junkie.

Now, more than a year later since that loss to Hunt, Struve will be back in action. With his condition now being treated by blood pressure medication and other adjustments to his training and diet, Struve might be even better than we’ve seen him in the past.

Then again, this isn’t the best matchup for the 26-year-old. As impressive as he has been, five of his six losses have come by knockout. His opponent—Matt Mitrione—has earned six of his seven wins by way of knockout.

Just about everyone will be pulling for Struve to put in a great performance on his comeback trail. But if Mitrione catches him early, the welcoming party could be short-lived.

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Weidman vs. Machida: Breaking Down Keys for Each Fighter in UFC 175 Title Bout

For Chris Weidman, the UFC 175 main event against Lyoto Machida presents an opportunity to begin his era.
It wasn’t enough for Weidman to win the title while remaining undefeated; he had to enter a second bout with Anderson Silva as the underdog champ….

For Chris Weidman, the UFC 175 main event against Lyoto Machida presents an opportunity to begin his era.

It wasn’t enough for Weidman to win the title while remaining undefeated; he had to enter a second bout with Anderson Silva as the underdog champ.

Weidman is still undefeated and can finally emerge from Silva’s shadow into the spotlight. On Saturday night, he meets one of the sport’s most dangerous strikers in Machida, a man on a mission to become just the third fighter in history to win a title in two different weight classes.

When the two step into the Octagon as the headline act for UFC’s Fourth of July festivities, two rather contrasting styles will give fans all they can handle to finish off the night. That goes ditto for the fighters, who will have to strictly adhere to specific strategies to win.

Chris Weidman: Shrink the Octagon, Take it to the Mat

At first glance, Weidman is going to struggle with Machida‘s style. Weidman is extremely mobile in the cage and vicious in close, but we are talking about a champ who has spent his time preparing for two bouts with a fighter like Silva.

Weidman is arguably at his best on the ground, so that’s the obvious strategy for the champ. He’s never been knocked down or out, and his superior stature is obvious from the jump, as journalist Josh Gross notes:

To be fair, Weidman has shown off some improved striking in his last two fights, but it’s still not good enough to do away with what works against someone who specializes in that approach.

That someone is a 36-year-old Brazilian who expertly picks and chooses his spots like Silva, sans the ego, and has struck down the likes of Rashad Evans and Randy Couture. Weidman has never encountered such a fighter, so a cautious approach rather than a straight charge ahead is a must to survive.

“Stylistically, (Machida) is going to be the same as he was at 205. Going down might make him feel a little quicker, a little stronger and maybe give him more confidence. I’m expecting a very confident Lyoto Machida, but I’m going to break his will,” Weidman said, per Fox Sports’ Damon Martin.

Confidence is great, but again, Weidman can’t go charging around recklessly, or he’ll get dropped. His best bet is to slowly attempt to pin Machida before going for the takedown. Once on the ground, the fluidity of his movements, brutality of his ground-and-pound and downright effectiveness of his submissions will make it rather easy to finish off his opponent.

Lyoto Machida: Keep at a Distance

Patience. Patience. Patience.

A savvy veteran who has danced with many elite fighters, Machida understands that his approach for a victory on Saturday night will most certainly not be a crowd-pleaser.

He enters knowing that if this thing goes to the mat, there is a 95 percent chance it’ll be over early. But it’s also quite apparent that Weidman is a bit of an unknown, meaning if the champ leaves himself vulnerable going for a takedown or simply drops his hands, we don’t really know how his chin will react to a strike.

In fact, those strikes that slip through as Weidman advances are inevitable, so Machida has to keep that cat-and-mouse pursuit going as long as possible to pepper the champ with his legendary strikes.

Or not, as his striking coach Rafael Cordeiro makes it sound like Machida will be the aggressor, as captured by Yahoo Sports’ Elias Cepeda:

Machida has developed a reputation for being a patient and sometimes cautious fighter but his coach says that “The Dragon” will go for the kill against Weidman Saturday night. “If Chris thinks he’s going there with that little hand and that he’ll simply take him down and lay and pray, he’s dead wrong,” he predicted.

If Machida is lucky, that’s his coach trying to make his upcoming strategy harder to discern. The Dragon may have more experience by a wide margin, but charging in on the attack is not a good way to approach Weidman, given the potential for a takedown.

As a former champ who has tangled with the best in the business and has been considered as such at one point, Machida has the recipe for a title triumph on Saturday night, should he stick to the plan.

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UFC 175 Live Results, Play-by-Play and Fight Card Highlights

UFC 175 is now underway.
The main event of the evening pits incumbent middleweight titleholder Chris Weidman against the always dangerous Lyoto Machida. The matchup marks Weidman’s first defense against an opponent other than the one he took the s…

UFC 175 is now underway.

The main event of the evening pits incumbent middleweight titleholder Chris Weidman against the always dangerous Lyoto Machida. The matchup marks Weidman’s first defense against an opponent other than the one he took the strap from (Anderson Silva).

In the co-main event of UFC 175, Ronda Rousey will look to improve her record to a perfect 10-0 when she takes on bantamweight staple Alexis Davis, who comes in having won eight of her last nine contests.

UFC 175 also welcomes Stefan Struve back to the Octagon and features one of the most popular men in mixed martial arts, Urijah Faber.

On the whole, the 11-fight card looks as follows:

UFC 175 Main Card

Chris Weidman vs. Lyoto Machida
Ronda Rousey vs. Alexis Davis
Stefan Struve vs. Matt Mitrione—CANCELLED
Uriah Hall def. Thiago Santos, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Russell Doane def. Marcus Brimage, split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)

Fox Sports 1 Prelims

Urijah Faber def. Alex Caceres, submission (Round 3, 1:09)
Kenny Robertson def. Ildemar Alcantara, unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
Bruno Santos def. Chris Camozzi, split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Rob Font def. George Roop, TKO (Round 1, 2:19)

UFC Fight Pass Prelims

Luke Zachrich def. Guilherme Vasconcelos, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Kevin Casey def. Bubba Bush, TKO (Round 1, 1:01)

Follow along below for Bleacher Report’s live play-by-play coverage.

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