Tag: UFC 175

Dana White Says There’s Never Been a Combat Athlete Like Ronda Rousey

There has never been a combat athlete like Ronda Rousey since the beginning of time, according to Dana White.
Like the rest of the world, the UFC President was absolutely stunned by Rousey’s 16-second knockout win over Alexis Davis at UFC 175. In…

There has never been a combat athlete like Ronda Rousey since the beginning of time, according to Dana White.

Like the rest of the world, the UFC President was absolutely stunned by Rousey’s 16-second knockout win over Alexis Davis at UFC 175. In a post-fight interview with ESPN, White called Rousey a “game-changer.”

There’s women who can play basketball. They play in the WNBA, people [shrug it off]. In women’s golf, [people shrug it off], every sport. Ronda Rousey is a woman who can walk down the Las Vegas strip tonight and clean it out of any man that’s standing in the middle of the street. She’s a game-changer for women. She’s a game-changer for women’s sports, and there’s never been a human being like her or a combat athlete like her since the beginning of time.

The UFC women’s bantamweight champ has led the charge for mainstream acceptance of women’s MMA. Boasting a 10-0 professional record, she has successfully defended the UFC belt four consecutive times and completely dominated every woman to ever stand across from her.

There is no taking away from White being in complete awe of Rousey’s brilliance. Davis was ranked as the No. 2 bantamweight fighter in the entire world, and she was finished in 16 seconds.

But what’s next?

That is the problematic question the UFC has to deal with in regards to Rousey’s continued dominance. She is a big fish in a small pond, and it does little for her legacy and overall fan excitement to see her constantly thrashing overmatched opposition.

People love seeing champions rise up to the threat of a legitimate challenge, and the UFC will undoubtedly have its work cut out finding Rousey a possible suitor. Cat Zingano is the only in-house name that holds up as a worthy contender. Unfortunately, the undefeated women’s bantamweight fighter is coming off a serious knee injury, and it has been over a year since she last competed.

Women’s boxing legend Holly Holm is another name that comes to mind, but she could still be a bit too green to take on the challenge of Rousey at this point in her MMA career.

Invicta featherweight champ Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino is without question the biggest threat to Rousey’s title. Justino, who has knocked out her last seven opponents, is still considered by many in the MMA community as the top female fighter in the world.

During the post-fight media scrum, White seemed interested in signing the Brazilian to a UFC contract. There have been contractual stalemates in the past due to concern over Justino making the 135-pound weight limit, but in a released statement to Axs.TV’s Inside MMA, she vowed to make bantamweight and “retire” Rousey.

Overcoming a fighter of Justino’s caliber would go a long way in solidifying Rousey as an all-time great, let alone White’s praise.

 

Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA writer for Rocktagon. 

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UFC 175: 3 Fights for Chris Weidman to Take Next

Up for the challenge to handle Lyoto Machida’s A-game, Chris Weidman retained his middleweight belt by outlasting the former light heavyweight champ in a unanimous-decision victory (49-45, 48-47, 49-46) in the main event of UFC 175 on Saturday in Las V…

Up for the challenge to handle Lyoto Machida’s A-game, Chris Weidman retained his middleweight belt by outlasting the former light heavyweight champ in a unanimous-decision victory (49-45, 48-47, 49-46) in the main event of UFC 175 on Saturday in Las Vegas.

Weidman, who went the distance for the fourth time in his career and the first time since his win over Demian Maia, grounded a slippery Machida five times and outstruck the cunning Brazilian, 90-63.

The win ran The All-American’s overall record to 12-0 and his UFC mark to 8-0. It also silenced many of the critics who believed that his wins over Anderson Silva weren’t merited.

Although it’s obvious that Weidman’s in a class of his own at 185 pounds, he only holds wins over three ranked middleweights. With that said, viable contenders who could pose a threat to the former NCAA Division I All-American wrestler are lurking. 

Here are three fights for the UFC’s middleweight champ to entertain next.

 

All stats gathered via Fightmetric.com.

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UFC 175 Results: Fighters Most Deserving of Title Opportunity After Saturday

Validation.
That was the theme in Las Vegas on Saturday night at UFC 175 from the top of the card, right on down to the bottom.
Title holders got the last laugh, with Ronda Rousey downing the No. 2 fighter to hush any whispers of doubt and Chris Weidma…

Validation.

That was the theme in Las Vegas on Saturday night at UFC 175 from the top of the card, right on down to the bottom.

Title holders got the last laugh, with Ronda Rousey downing the No. 2 fighter to hush any whispers of doubt and Chris Weidman surviving a surge from Lyoto Machida to quell the Anderson Silva “fluke” questions.

But before the co-main events, the trend was birthed by rising contenders with everything on the line. Three names in particular stuck out (it may have been four had Stefan Struve not experienced another scary healthy situation) as contestants who furthered their title aspirations.

They are as follows, and the current owners of the straps better pay attention.

 

Urijah Faber

Strangely relegated to the preliminaries on Fox Sports 1, one of UFC’s most popular fighters used the stage to announce to the globe that he is fully recovered from his loss to Renan Barao at UFC 169.

While it was awkward to see the promotion keep one of its biggest stars off the grand stage of a pay-per-view—especially on Fourth of July weekend—to Faber, it made perfect sense, as captured by Submission Radio via BloodyElbow.com:

You know, for me it actually makes a little more sense. It’s the main event on the free card, the Fox Sports 1 card, so you know I think as far as exposure goes, I’ll probably get a wider view for more viewers that don’t have to pay. I think the PPV numbers haven’t necessarily been as high as they used to be, so for me it makes more sense.

I’m the featured fight on the free card right before the PPV, and I don’t get piece of that PPV anyway, so I’d rather more people watched the fights.

See why he’s a fan favorite?

While Alex Caceres was not the most recognizable opposition, the American did enter Saturday’s bout having won five straight but quickly was at a disadvantage against The California Kid. Faber dominated the fight from the opening bell, using a series of takedowns and ground-and-pound to gain the upper hand early.

It helps Faber that Bruce Leeroy was so willing to pursue the grappling avenue, an area where he had a clear disadvantage, but credit goes to the surging contender for taking advantage and applying the deciding rear-naked hold in the third round.

Logic says Faber, having won five of six (nine straight in non-title bouts), wants a shot at strap holder T.J. Dillashaw next (he has a rematch with Barao first), but Ryan Yamamoto of News10 KXTV may have a reason for us to pump the brakes:

We’ll see if Faber changes his mind, as a fleeting shot at gold doesn’t come around often.

 

Russell Doane

It may have been ugly, it may have featured a controversial decision, and it may have been an upset, but Russell Doane announced to the world on Saturday night that he is here to stay and should be one of the first fighters to get a shot at the crown in the division.

An underdog despite facing off against Marcus Brimage, who had been out of the Octagon for more than a year after a vicious knockout in 67 seconds by Conor McGregor (with an Achilles tendon injury to boot), Doane looked undeterred in his pursuit nonetheless.

Doane came out early and took things to the mat, winning the first round with ease. The next two rounds seemed to favor both sides at points, but the Hawaiian scored his second win thanks to a better overall performance and took to Twitter to celebrate:

Perhaps now The Young Punisher is not such an unknown in the UFC realm after downing a returning former contender known for his prowess in the Octagon. His win Saturday makes it a 2-0 mark in UFC to this point, but it’s important to remember his past strong performances in PXC and Tachi Palace Fights, too.

For Doane, Saturday was a step in the right direction, and it’s hard to think he wouldn’t give the title a serious run for its money.

 

Uriah Hall

The owner of wicked knockout power and a resume that had seem him perhaps cut from the promotion before a win over Chris Leben last December, Uriah Hall continued to further himself from the bust label on Saturday night.

While Thiago Santos is certainly no slouch, all of the attention in the match was dialed in on Hall, who suffered a broken toe and continued with the match anyway. Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Botter did a great job of illustrating the moment:

Hall, owner of some of the promotion’s most dangerous knockout power, used his elite speed to his advantage against Santos and continued to land staggering combinations throughout the course of the match, which made the work for the judges rather simplistic.

After the win, Hall took to social media to show fans he was making it through the injury:

To be transparent, Hall’s contention in the middleweight division is more based on potential at this point than anything.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Hall has shaken off his early struggles, is one of the most popular names in the sport and has knockout potential that can fell any opponent once the cage door slams shut.

Given his ability to recover, with Saturday night being the capper, it’s about time Hall got his title shot. An injection of more new blood to the title scene is nothing but a good thing. Either way, the door in the division is wide open, and Hall seems an obvious candidate to go sprinting through.

 

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UFC 175 Star Ronda Rousey Isn’t the Royce Gracie of Women’s MMA—She’s Better

It’s disconcerting to find beauty in the midst of absurdly cartoonish violence, but there was something jaw-droppingly gorgeous about Ronda Rousey’s UFC 175 win over Alexis Davis.
Watching Davis fly through the air, her night already over long before R…

It’s disconcerting to find beauty in the midst of absurdly cartoonish violence, but there was something jaw-droppingly gorgeous about Ronda Rousey‘s UFC 175 win over Alexis Davis.

Watching Davis fly through the air, her night already over long before Rousey’s perfect harai goshi throw ended all doubts, was mesmerizing. It may have lasted less than two seconds in real time—but in that moment, and in our memories, Davis hung in the air forever.

It’s here, in those eye blinks when time freezes and jaws drop, that legends are born. To watch Rousey is to see combat sports history written right before your eyes.

Davis came into her title challenge looking fit and ready. Gone was the soft doughiness of her last fight. Standing in front of us on press row, back to the cage, Davis looked powerful, her core and shoulders rippling with muscle.

None of it mattered. Rousey was across the cage. All hope was lost.

MMA is more than the sports world’s foremost expression of human aggression. For all its inherent brutality, it’s really a sport of angles and mathematics. The best fighters, like Rousey, are human calculators, constantly gauging distance and position, looking for the most minute opening and then striking like a mongoose.

In the history of combat sports, there’s never been a woman athlete this compelling.

For decades wrestling and boxing promoters have attempted to create a female superstar. For decades they have failed. “Foxy boxing” and mud wrestling have limited appeal. That’s what separates Rousey from her predecessors.

Others have had the cheesecake factor, and a handful have had the athletic skill. But none have combined them, adding a predator’s cold stare and an eternal chip on their shoulder to boot.

In 1993, Royce Gracie ran through the field at UFC 1 like a 175-pound elephant. No man could stand before him. His art of Gracie jiu-jitsu placed him on another plane than his opponents, men who had not yet learned what the new face of fighting would look like.

Rousey and Gracie are often compared for this reason. Like Gracie, no one can stand before Ronda for much more than an instant. Like Gracie, she’s established a dominance that has foes quaking before the bell ever rings.

But while the comparisons are meant to be complimentary, they actually aren’t fair to Rousey.

Women’s MMA is not in the same place the men’s sport was when Gracie reigned. Gracie was a martial encyclopedia in the ring with savage ignorance. Rousey has no such advantage. Her opponents are highly trained martial artists.

When Gracie fought Ken Shamrock, the Lion’s Den founder was completely unaware of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the transformative martial art that changed the world of fighting forever. Davis, by turn, was a black belt in the same art. She’s fought professionally for seven years, competing with some of the very best women in the sport. She’s not Shamrock—she’s a more sophisticated, skilled fighter than Ken ever was.

That’s the truly exciting thing about Rousey. It’s not that she’s a shark among guppies. She’s a shark among sharks. And her teeth are only getting sharper.

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UFC 175 Proves the UFC Can Still Be the “Super Bowl of MMA” When It Wants To Be


(Two of the best fighters on earth about to enter unarmed combat. / Photo via Getty)

By Matt Saccaro

Oversaturation. Lack of stars. Declining interest. Record-low numbers. An ephemeral casual fanbase. A hardcore fanbase that doesn’t care anymore. A resurgent competitor with a new, well-liked, adept president backed by a financial titan.

Those topics have all been under substantial discussion in the past few months–as they should be. Those are the very real, very pressing problems the UFC faces as we enter the second half of 2014.

But last night at UFC 175, the MMA world was able to forget all that–specifically because of the PPV’s main and co-main events.

The co-main event featured UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey taking on challenger Alexis Davis. As Rousey headed to the cage, I took to CagePotato’s Twitter and presciently stated Rousey-Davis would be the most one-sided fight we see all year. That’s exactly what it turned out to be. Rousey vs. Davis made Chad Mendes vs. Cody McKenzie seem well-booked and competitive.

I know what you’re saying, “Why is the UFC-sponsored cash cow Ronda Rousey winning a squash match something to get pumped up about?”


(Two of the best fighters on earth about to enter unarmed combat. / Photo via Getty)

By Matt Saccaro

Oversaturation. Lack of stars. Declining interest. Record-low numbers. An ephemeral casual fanbase. A hardcore fanbase that doesn’t care anymore. A resurgent competitor with a new, well-liked, adept president backed by a financial titan.

Those topics have all been under substantial discussion in the past few months–as they should be. Those are the very real, very pressing problems the UFC faces as we enter the second half of 2014.

But last night at UFC 175, the MMA world was able to forget all that–specifically because of the PPV’s main and co-main events.

The co-main event featured UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey taking on challenger Alexis Davis. As Rousey headed to the cage, I took to CagePotato’s Twitter and presciently stated Rousey-Davis would be the most one-sided fight we see all year. That’s exactly what it turned out to be. Rousey vs. Davis made Chad Mendes vs. Cody McKenzie seem well-booked and competitive.

I know what you’re saying, “Why is the UFC-sponsored cash cow Ronda Rousey winning a squash match something to get pumped up about?”

If you paid any attention to the NFL in the late 90s/early 2000s, you might remember “The Greatest Show on Turf.” That’s what everyone called the record-breaking offense for the St.Louis Rams. At the time, there was nothing like it. Watching their games, even the one-sided blowouts, was incredible because you had the sense that watching such artistry was a privilege. You didn’t care about the 48-3 score, you cared about witnessing the spectacle, the athleticism, and the talent.

If the St.Louis Rams were the Greatest Show on Turf, Ronda Rousey is the Greatest Show on Canvas (or the Greatest Show in a Cage or whatever gimmicky honorific you’d like to use). There is quite literally nothing in MMA like watching Ronda Rousey fight–the legendary scowl she sports while “Bad Reputation” blasts in the background, her in-cage dominance, her justifiably matter-of-fact air of superiority, and the deluge of discussions that pours over the MMA community after she wins a fight.

Ronda Rousey is…unique, gifted, special, or any other similar term you prefer to use. There is not a second Ronda Rousey in MMA right now in terms of the interest–whether due to adoration or loathing–she’s capable of generating. As long as the UFC has her, they have something the fans will care about, something that’ll make the promotion worth following.

There was more to UFC 175 than just Ronda Rousey.

UFC middleweight champ Chris Weidman defended his title against Lyoto Machida in the card’s main event. While Weidman dominated the first three rounds, the last two were ferociously contested. Machida almost pulled off a Gregor Clegane-level comeback as Weidman tired and opened himself up to numerous flurries. Just as it seemed Weidman might be running on empty, the Long Island native met Machida’s whirlwind of offense with his own.

The last two rounds of Weidman-Machida were everything an MMA competition should be–contested in several areas of fighting, dramatic, enjoyable, competitive, and fought between two highly skilled fighters who are among the elite of the elite. It’s this last bit that’s most important.

Any two fighters can throw their fists and dramatic have reversals of fortune. Too many fans are content with just that–random regional-level fighters closing their eyes, sticking their chins out, and throwing hooks from their waists–”banging.” While fans accept such a product because it’s branded “UFC,” it’s not something the UFC has a monopoly on. Any MMA promotion on the planet can offer that. However, top fighters like Chris Weidman and Lyoto Machida in a brutal struggle for the only title in the MMA world that matters is something unique to the UFC.

Bellator, even with Scott Coker and Viacom’s apparent renewed interest, can’t create a card like UFC 175–nor a spectacle like Ronda Rousey, nor a fantastic fight where the MMA world hangs in the balance like Weidman-Machida. None of the UFC’s competitors can.

UFC 175 was an example of what makes the UFC special, what makes it the “Super Bowl of MMA.” The UFC would do well to remember that, lest it continues lowering its own standard and falls into ruin.

UFC 175 Results: Vitor Belfort Not Guaranteed Next Shot at Chris Weidman

Vitor Belfort could miss out once again on a shot at UFC middleweight champ Chris Weidman due to pending issues with the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
The Brazilian legend was originally slated to fight Weidman at UFC 173, but he was removed from t…

Vitor Belfort could miss out once again on a shot at UFC middleweight champ Chris Weidman due to pending issues with the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

The Brazilian legend was originally slated to fight Weidman at UFC 173, but he was removed from the card and replaced with Lyoto Machida after the NSAC banned the use of testosterone replacement therapy, a treatment Belfort was on. The fight ended up being moved to UFC 175 after Weidman suffered a knee injury in training.

Belfort was then given an opportunity to compete on the UFC 175 fight card against Chael Sonnen, but that bout was also scrapped after Sonnen failed a random drug test.

The NSAC had scheduled a meeting with Belfort on June 17 about his licensing issues, but the meeting was cancelled after the Sonnen bout fell through. Belfort admitted via his Instagram account to failing a random drug test in February, but he’ll still need the NSAC’s approval before he is able to fight again.

Of course, the UFC could opt to put him on a fight card in another state. But after hearing UFC President Dana White’s comments at the UFC 175 post-fight presser, as relayed by Luke Thomas of MMAFighting.com, it seems highly unlikely that the promotion would go against the NSAC’s wishes:

I think what’s next and what everybody would like to see—what I’d like to see and what you’d like to see—is probably Vitor Belfort. So, let’s see what happens with Vitor. If this guy can get his business handled.

Despite White’s optimism, there are those in the UFC who don’t believe Belfort deserves a title shot, given his recent and past run-ins with the commission. UFC middleweight contender Tim Kennedy had some harsh words for the Brazilian on Twitter:

The NSAC has yet to confirm a rescheduled date for a meeting with Belfort.

 

Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA writer for Rocktagon.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com