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Rousey vs. Davis Results: Rowdy’s UFC 175 Win Showed Dangerous Versatility

Ronda Rousey was already widely heralded as UFC’s most dangerous woman before her bout with Alexis Davis on Saturday night from Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, but after her decisive 16-second victory at UFC 175, she simply looked terrifying.
The armbar has…

The armbar has been Rousey‘s instrument of destruction for the majority of her UFC career. Of her current 10-0 record, her first eight victories came on the ground via submission.

Not only that, but Rousey is no stranger to short fights, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

There’s nothing wrong with submissions—Rousey is an absolute technician on the mat—but her style was a little one-dimensional.

Just looking at Rousey‘s UFC profile, it’s easy to see where the former Olympian was able to find success. Rousey‘s fight history came by way of 78 percent submissions, 15 percent takedowns and just 7 percent striking.

Her summery is also described with the words “takedowns, submissions, explosiveness, Olympic experience.”

After her dismantling of Davis, that should change.

Yes, Rousey‘s strength will continue to be that dangerous armbar, but she’s beginning to show a better grasp of striking and beating opponents standing.

We saw the first glimpse of this in her UFC 170 bout against Sara McMann. In the then-brief Round 1 knockout, Rousey threw a total of 14 strikes that were capped off by a knee to McMann‘s body, ending the fight after just over one minute.

Looking back at her fight against McMann, Rousey also showed she could take a punch as well:

Rousey continued her striking surge on Saturday night against Davis.

In just 16 seconds, Rousey threw 14 strikes. This time, she delivered well-placed jabs to stay out of her opponent’s reach. Once she connected solidly to the side of Davis’ head, she closed in quickly and delivered a knee to the midsection, staggering Davis.

This allowed Rousey to take her opponent to the ground and pummel her with a flurry of rights until the fight was ultimately stopped.

Here’s a look at the fight’s final series, courtesy of Sports Recall:

Yet, she’s known as a submission artist.

After her fight, Rousey explained why she fared so well standing against Davis during a press conference, via Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com:

I box six days a week and grapple four days a week. I have more to catch up on striking, so I do that the most.

We had been specifically working on the long overhand right and long left hook in this training camp. Before my fight with Sara McMann, we had been training the inside knee to the body. It just seems that whatever I’m working on in training camp I have implemented effectively in the fight.

That’s a scary thought.

Not only is Rousey a completely threatening presence on the ground, but now she’s also expanding her fighting style in an effort to stand toe-to-toe against her opponents.

If Rousey was able to defeat her No. 1 contender in 16 seconds now, imagine what she’ll be capable of accomplishing with more training as a striker.

The way things look at the moment, Rousey could easily become the most complete and dominant fighter we’ve ever seen in any UFC weight class.

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UFC 175: 3 Fights for Urijah Faber to Take Next

UFC bantamweight staple Urijah Faber got back to his winning ways with a submission victory over Alex Caceres in the main event of the preliminary card Saturday at UFC 175.
Faber bounced back from a TKO loss to Renan Barao in a bantamweight title fight…

UFC bantamweight staple Urijah Faber got back to his winning ways with a submission victory over Alex Caceres in the main event of the preliminary card Saturday at UFC 175.

Faber bounced back from a TKO loss to Renan Barao in a bantamweight title fight at UFC 162 by cinching up a fight-ending rear-naked choke on the 11th-ranked “Bruce Leeroy” early in the third round.

“The California Kid” has suffered just three losses in the UFC (each of which were title fights) and has prevailed in five of his last six outings.

Even though teammate T.J. Dillashaw holds the belt at 135 pounds, the 35-year-old Faber will continue his quest for bantamweight gold in the coming months.

Here are three intriguing fights for Faber to consider next.

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Chris Weidman vs. Lyoto Machida: What Went Wrong for the Challenger?

Saturday night was UFC 175, the biggest event of the year for the world’s largest MMA promotion. In the main event, Lyoto Machida challenged Chris Weidman for his UFC Middleweight Championship in an attempt to be just the third fighter to hold belts in…

Machida came up short in his effort to become champion, dropping a unanimous decision to Weidman. It was a fight that was largely contested on the feet and excited the fans throughout.

In examining Machida‘s performance, it’s easy to see where things went wrong for the Japanese-Brazilian karate master. His slow start and defensive style did him no favors early on, which got him behind on the scorecards.

First, it must be noted that Machida‘s takedown defense and ability to get off his back when he was taken down was on point as usual Saturday night. Weidman tried many times to plant Machida on the mat, but Machida would either fend that attack off or get up incredibly fast.

Also, it should be stated Machida finished the fight well. Despite his slow start, he picked up steam down the stretch, though, that could be viewed as a weakness in this fight.

Weidman‘s Octagon control was at the detriment of Machida in this bout. Weidman controlled the cage and was able to dictate the striking game. It made it tough for Machida to get off and blitz like he usually does in his fight.

Machida‘s defensive style also hurt him. He was waiting on Weidman too much, but because Weidman is athletic and quick, he was able to escape many of Machida‘s counters. He was able to land some, but not like he normally does in fights.

His slow start also did him no favors. He didn’t really look like the Machida of past until the late fourth round and entire fifth round. That’s where he finally started to get going, though, it was a little too late.

If there’s something to take from that, it’s that we now know that the weight cut doesn’t affect Machida‘s cardio. He was fresh throughout the fight and never really looked too gassed.

Most of the times that Machida hasn’t won fights was because he was too timid and not aggressive enough. That could easily be to blame here as well.

Machida is still a high-level middleweight and will stick around the title picture despite the loss. Seeing his recent performances against Mark Munoz and Gegard Mousasi show that he is going to be a tough out for any top-level 185-pounder that the UFC possesses.

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Chris Weidman vs. Lyoto Machida: What Went Right for the Champ?

At UFC 175 on Saturday night, Chris Weidman retained the UFC Middleweight Championship in impressive fashion, taking a unanimous-decision win over challenger Lyoto Machida. It was a great performance for Weidman, who continues to build himself up as a …

Weidman, known for his impressive wrestling and grappling prowess, spent a majority of his time on the feet with Machida, where many people thought he’d be at a disadvantage. However, he won three or four rounds on all the judges’ scorecards, showing he was able to handle himself against the karate master.

In examining Weidman’s performance, it’s easy to see what went right for the champion. His ability to mix it up, be aggressive and keep Machida on his heels was the key to victory.

The biggest thing was that Weidman established control early. While he slowed a bit down the stretch, he was able to set the tone early to earn points on the scorecards.

He also mixed up his attacks well. Though it was tough for him to get takedowns and keep Machida on his back, the fact that he threatened with them kept Machida guessing throughout the bout.

Also, Weidman’s aggression earned him points. Machida is known as a defensive fighter, which should come as no surprise to fans. Weidman took the center of the cage, imposed his will with strikes and takedown attempts and made sure he was winning the rounds from the Brazilian.

His striking was also on point. Not long ago, Weidman was basically a submission wrestler. Now, under the tutelage of Ray Longo, the champion has developed amazing boxing with some solid kicks to mix things up.

Down the stretch, he started to slip a bit. However, that was because Machida got more aggressive and took the center of the cage from him.

Had Machida come out more aggressive like he did late in the fight, would the fight have gone the same way? The biggest thing that went right for Weidman was that he was aggressive and keeping Machida with his back to the cage.

Also, did Weidman slow as a result of his big weight cut? He is a mammoth at middleweight that has to cut a significant amount, which could affect his cardio.

Those points stated, they had a minimal effect on Weidman during the fight. They were a small crack in an otherwise polished armor.

All in all, Weidman put on a great performance that will continue to skyrocket his stock. He has beaten arguably the two best men at middleweight right now in Anderson Silva and Machida, and done so in impressive fashion.

Everything was on point Saturday night, as Weidman proved why he is the UFC champ. He is hard working, skilled and has the heart of a gladiator.

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UFC 175 Results: 3 Stars from the Pay-Per-View

UFC 175 headlined the biggest weekend of the year for MMA. It didn’t disappoint either, as fun fights and incredible finishes made for a great event.
In the main event, Chris Weidman defended his middleweight title against Lyoto Machida via unanimous d…

UFC 175 headlined the biggest weekend of the year for MMA. It didn’t disappoint either, as fun fights and incredible finishes made for a great event.

In the main event, Chris Weidman defended his middleweight title against Lyoto Machida via unanimous decision. It was a great effort that further exemplified his star power.

In the co-feature, Ronda Rousey made quick work of Alexis Davis, earning a sub-20-second knockout. It continued to show the evolution of Rousey and her continued place in the spotlight.

So, who were the three stars of UFC 175? Let’s take a look from the monumental event.

1. Ronda Rousey

Ronda Rousey doesn’t work by the hour, folks. She took what was supposed to be a credible contender in Alexis Davis, dropped her like a bad habit and finished her in 16 seconds.

The fight started with a wild exchange on the feet. At the end of a combination, Rousey connected with a right hand and proceeded to hit a giant throw on Davis.

She landed in a side headlock position. From there, she peppered Davis with nine quick punches that earned a stoppage, as the ref had seen enough and Davis was taking serious damage.

It continues to prove that Rousey is indeed the best woman in MMA today. She is a star and a savage whose performances are producing more and more violence.

2. Chris Weidman

Picking a winner between Chris Weidman and Lyoto Machida was tough. Machida is elusive and devastating, and Weidman has the style to give Machida problems.

Weidman showed off a rugged chin and continued improvements in his striking. He stood toe-to-toe with one of the best strikers in MMA to positive results.

When he took control of the center of the cage, he had Machida on his heels. He mixed in takedowns as well, which allowed him to keep Machida guessing.

The win continues to prove Weidman is legit. He is slowly creeping up pound-for-pound rankings and amassing a fantastic little resume.

3. Kevin Casey

Kevin Casey’s time on The Ultimate Fighter 17 was a bit underwhelming. He was a favorite from the time the cast was announced, but he failed to perform both in the house and at the finale, when he was bested by Josh Samman.

He has since reinvented himself with Resurrection Fighting Alliance. He won some impressive bouts there to earn his spot on the UFC roster back.

In his sophomore outing and UFC return fight, Casey drew Legacy FC champ Bubba Bush. That championship status meant nothing to Casey, as he dropped Bush and destroyed him with some incredible elbows.

It was a performance that brings Casey back to relevance and resurrects his career.

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UFC 175 Results: Fighters Who Shouldn’t Be Discouraged Despite Defeats

Nobody ever wants to lose, but sometimes it’s good to make the most of a bad situation. A few fighters who tasted defeat at UFC 175 should still be somewhat encouraged with how well they fought.
Not all losses are created equally. It’s one thing to get…

Nobody ever wants to lose, but sometimes it’s good to make the most of a bad situation. A few fighters who tasted defeat at UFC 175 should still be somewhat encouraged with how well they fought.

Not all losses are created equally. It’s one thing to get completely dominated in every round. It’s something different to go down fighting until the end and make a strong case that you were the deserving winner. Even a knockout/submission result can be deceiving because all it takes is one split-second mistake, and it’s all over.

These three fighters may not have come out on the winning end Saturday night, but they at least made a good account of themselves.

Lyoto Machida

In an earlier article Sunday, I made the parallel between Chris Weidman‘s win over Lyoto Machida to one of Ric Flair’s title defenses from the late 1980s and early ’90s. Flair was such a great wrestler that even in victory, he made his opponents look like a million bucks, and they came out looking stronger in defeat.

Of course, Weidman and Machida didn’t work out a prearranged finish for their title bout, but the comparison remains effective.

Machida might have fallen short Saturday night, but his stock hardly took a hit. By the end of the fight, most fans were applauding him for coming back in the late rounds and giving Weidman a run for his money:

The challenger remained gracious in defeat.

“The plan was to keep the fight standing but Chris Weidman is a tough opponent,” Machida said, per Mike Chiappetta of FoxSports.com. “He’s the true champion. He deserves the title.”

Machida might have lost at UFC 175, but he still found a way to burnish his reputation in the Octagon.

Marcus Brimage

While most will agree that Machida was the clear loser in his bout, the same couldn’t be said of Marcus Brimage, who lost a split decision to Russell Doane.

ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto had the 29-year-old ahead on the cards, while Sherdog’s Jordan Breen thought that Brimage at the very least took Round 3:

All in all, Brimage could’ve had a much worse debut to the bantamweight division. He registered a knockdown on Doane in the second round and looked to be in control by landing a series of leg kicks.

The judges obviously felt otherwise, but they cannot cloud what was a strong performance from Brimage.

Alex Caceres

The burden was on Urijah Faber Saturday night. He was the more experienced fighter and the consensus pick to beat Alex Caceres. After all, the 35-year-old is now 20-0 in nontitle fights, as per Mike Johnston of Sportsnet:

There’s no shame in losing to a better fighter, and that’s exactly what happened to Caceres:

This was his chance to earn consideration as a main-card player in the pay-per-view scene. Although this is a setback, Caceres is only 26 years old, so he has plenty of time to recover and get his UFC career back on track.

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