This weekend, two women’s champions looked dominant as they defended their titles. Ronda Rousey needed just 14 seconds to keep her belt, while Cristiane Santos won her fight in 46 seconds. As the UFC continues to answer questions about what is needed t…
This weekend, two women’s champions looked dominant as they defended their titles. Ronda Rousey needed just 14 seconds to keep her belt, while Cristiane Santos won her fight in 46 seconds. As the UFC continues to answer questions about what is needed to get these two into the cage, the fact remains that a lot of work will have to be done in order to put together the biggest fight available in women’s mixed martial arts.
Even through “Cyborg” and “Rowdy” have years of going back and forth between each other on the books, there are a number of hurdles that need to be overcome before they can get into the Octagon together.
UFC President Dana White addressed the main issue of Santos fighting in a higher weight class.
“The thing is with Cyborg is making that weight. I don’t know if she can make the weight,” White said during the post-fight conference (via MMA Fighting). “She has to make the weight.”
Santos answered similar questioning during the Invicta 11 post-fight press conference when reporters wondered about the potential of a fight with Rousey.
“I am trying to make 135 pounds. I know everyone wants to see me fight Ronda Rousey,” Santos is quoted in saying via a report from Sherdog. “I am going to try very hard to make this fight happen.”
Santos has gone back and forth about cutting down to 135 pounds. She recently mentioned that she will not be able to make the weight and will continue competing at 145 pounds. Back in 2012, Damon Martin of MMA Weekly wrote a piece in which doctors nixed the idea of Santos losing the additional 10 pounds to fight.
Rousey‘s continued success has eliminated many of the potential contenders that would create interesting fights. With her victory over Cat Zingano, she has defeated the top five women currently listed in the UFC’s rankings. Rousey recognized the idea that the Santos fight is there, but downplayed how important it is to her legacy.
“I really don’t feel like there is anything hanging over this fight,” Rousey said. “I’m very proud of what we did but there isn’t anything hanging over this fight.”
Dana White interjected to let everyone know that this is not on Rousey.
“If she makes the weight, we can make the fight,” White said. “I’m going to say it. She asks me all the time and says that she will fight her whenever she makes the weight. She wants to fight her. It’s not on Ronda. She’s the world champion. ‘Cyborg’ has to make the weight. Make 135 pounds and the fight will happen.”
Ronda Rousey is one of the biggest stars that the UFC can offer fans. The promotion is in a tough position, as it can not provide her with the challenger that everyone wants to see at this time. Until then, the two best women fighters will be kept on separate paths.
Ronda Rousey needed less than 30 seconds to put away Cat Zingano and retain the UFC women’s bantamweight crown. The former Olympic judoka defended her belt for the fifth time and pushed her record to 11-0.
As she looks down at the rest of the division …
Ronda Rousey needed less than 30 seconds to put away Cat Zingano and retain the UFC women’s bantamweight crown. The former Olympic judoka defended her belt for the fifth time and pushed her record to 11-0.
As she looks down at the rest of the division chasing her, questions arise as to who will be her next opponent. There are a number of individuals to pick from, but Holly Holm should not be the answer.
When looking at the UFC rankings for the 135-pound women’s division it’s clear that Rousey has nearly cleaned out the entire group. She has soundly defeated all of the top five contenders to her title since moving over to the promotion in 2013.
Moments before Rousey‘s successful title defense, fight fans witnessed the promotional debut of Holm as she earned a split decision victory over Raquel Pennington. The former women’s boxing champion looked crisp in her striking technique but never put her opponent in any clear position of danger. Rousey may have mentioned her in the post-fight interview, but Holm should not be feed to the champion at this point in time.
Other options should include No. 7-ranked Bethe Correia and even current Invicta featherweight champion Cristiane Justino. UFC President Dana White has already nixed the potential rivalry bout with Santos.
Even though Rousey started her MMA career as a featherweight, it seems as if her fighting the Invicta featherweight champion, who had a dominant win of her own on Friday, is off of the books at this time. The conversation has turned to a catch-weight fight between the two, but White has called that off.
“Why would the champ go there? It just doesn’t make sense,” White said during the post-fight press conference, via MMA Fighting. “She’s the 135-pound champion here; she’s dominant. The champ doesn’t chance other people. If you want to fight the champ, you go to the champ.”
Correia has been on a run of her own that has included victims who are Rousey‘s training partners. Her last two wins, over Shayna Baszler and Jessamyn Duke, were dominant victories that pushed her up the rankings ladder. Rousey mentioned her during her interview with Joe Rogan immediately after the fight, but White has not confirmed that she may be next in line.
“She’s been pretty aggressive about getting the fight,” White said. “She’s undefeated so we will see what happens.”
Even though Holm came into the event with a lot of hype, do not expect her to be the next to fight the champion.
“Listen a lot of hype came in around Holly. It’s her first time here,” White said during questioning. “When you come in here it is a completely different ball game. She went in there tonight and she performed. Let’s let her get a couple of fights and let her feel like the UFC is her home. She has some time to get there.”
“I would like to get my feet wet. I finally got this first UFC fight over with,” Holm responded when questioned about the potential to face Rousey next.
Media professionals such as Patrick Wyman took to Twitter to express their idea that Holm is not ready at this point in time.
Ronda Rousey continues to epitomize the idea of dominance in sports as she maintains her position as the women’s 135-pound champion. As the community awaits an announcement for her next challenger, Holly Holm should be given the opportunity to grow before being placed in the main event.
Ronda Rousey didn’t get the memo.
At UFC 184, Cat Zingano was supposed to represent Rousey’s toughest task to date. A talented offensive mind whose best trait was perseverance and the ability to sustain a lengthy bout before a storybook comeback, Zinga…
Ronda Rousey didn’t get the memo.
At UFC 184, Cat Zingano was supposed to represent Rousey’s toughest task to date. A talented offensive mind whose best trait was perseverance and the ability to sustain a lengthy bout before a storybook comeback, Zingano was the one to test not only Rousey’s chin but also her conditioning.
Instead, Zingano fell into the trap of those before her and tapped 14 seconds after the opening bell.
As a whole, an underrated card put on quite the show Saturday night at Staples Center. As expected, some of the outcome’s biggest implications moving forward are noteworthy to review.
UFC 184 Results
Storylines to Watch
Cat Zingano’s Redemption Trail
For now, Zingano fades back to obscurity after a performance that makes her just another statistic—albeit a pretty historic one—smack in the middle of Rousey’s reign of terror.
The path back is easier than it seems, though.
Zingano can thank Rousey for that.
Rousey has now won 10 fights in the first round, and the average hardly hovers around four minutes at this point. She’s blown through the top names in the division, so Zingano is right to already be on the hunt for the No. 2 spot again, as captured by Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting:
Maybe that’s not entirely fair.
Zingano can also thank herself for her easy climb back to the top. Her heartbreaking out-of-Octagon story defines her in-Octagon approach, always on the rebound and overcoming the odds.
This is something UFC can build around so long as Zingano comes out strong in her next bout and wins. She’s the comeback kid who slipped up against Rousey (who doesn’t?) but can learn from the mistakes and give it a better go next time around.
The UFC hype machine is a beautiful, powerful thing that needs to go to work to keep the division interesting. So long as Zingano plays her part in her next fight, the door to the No. 2 slot and a rematch is wide open.
Ronda Rousey’s Next Step
Rousey has cleaned out a division—UFC’s 135-pound female division introduced in 2013—one that was mostly a byproduct of her immense popularity in the first place.
So what’s next?
Well, re-writing the record books seems to throw that sort of question for a loop:
“We were actually suspecting she might do something flying at me right away,” Rousey said, per ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto. “I’ve actually been working on that behind arm armbar. Not from that angle, but hey, it works.”
See, it pays to be prepared.
New blood is the name of the game if Rousey’s next fight is to put butts in seats. While she might be at the Floyd Mayweather point in which folks tune in just to see if she loses, it seems more unlikely than ever with most of the division demolished.
Cris “Cyborg” Justino is the first name many will point out. She just defended her title in all of 46 seconds at Invicta FC 11. Holly Holm is another name many will bring up, and despite a sloppy win against Raquel Pennington, the boxing legend will continue to be in the conversation—after all, UFC is all about deciding whether boxing or mixed martial arts is the dominant sport.
For her part, Rousey seemed to have a few other names in mind after Saturday’s triumph, as well:
Bethe Correia is undefeated, although Jessica Eye figures to remain in the conversation as well given a similar standing at the moment.
UFC can’t really go wrong with Rousey’s next fight so long as the booking surrounding other names builds another credible contender for further down the line. Justino is probably the best matchup and the name to most closely monitor, although looking ahead even further, Zingano will be back in the conversation soon.
Stats and info courtesy of UFC.com unless otherwise specified.
Things didn’t totally go Holly Holm’s way at UFC 184.
Maybe that will turn out to be the best thing for her.
Holm made her Octagon debut amid a boatload of hype on Saturday, after establishing herself as one of women’s MMA’s hot…
Things didn’t totally go Holly Holm’s way at UFC 184.
Maybe that will turn out to be the best thing for her.
Holm made her Octagon debut amid a boatload of hype on Saturday, after establishing herself as one of women’s MMA’s hottest free agents with three undefeated years on the independent circuit. Before her arrival—once delayed in 2014 by injury—there were even whispers she might be the one to finally give Ronda Rousey a real run for her money.
After Holm eked out a split-decision win over the outsized Raquel Pennington and Rousey doused Cat Zingano in just 14 seconds, however, those murmurs no longer apply. It’s clear now that Holm will need more seasoning at the sport’s highest level if she ever means to challenge the UFC women’s bantamweight champion.
Watching Rousey tie Zingano in knots in less time than it takes to get dressed in the morning only reaffirmed her singular status in the MMA landscape. She’s still a few levels—heck, maybe a generation—ahead of her nearest competition, and Holm just isn’t there yet.
Holm’s fights in smaller organizations made it look as if her size, mobility and striking skills might be the antidote for Rousey’s prodigious judo skills.
Her first UFC appearance just made her look nervous.
After the judges announced their split verdict in Holm’s favor—29-28, 28-29, 30-27—she admitted as much to UFC color commentator Joe Rogan inside the cage.
“It’s a new experience, and the unknown is there, so there’s a lot of nerves with it,” Holm said. “I feel like because of all the hype, I don’t feel like I can live up to it, you know? There’s so much talk and there’s a lot of nerves involved.”
Before she even entered the cage, Holm appeared to have a pronounced case of the infamous Octagon jitters. She skipped/marched into the arena to a traditional Scottish dance tune, and by the time she arrived at the UFC’s corporately sponsored prep point to receive her final instructions from officials, she was visibly shaking.
Or maybe that was a dance? In any case, it didn’t inspire a ton of confidence in the official odds, which made her the overwhelming favorite over Pennington, according to Odds Shark.
Once the bout began, it appeared as though she never really settled down. She was slow out of the gate, landing just eight significant strikes in the opening round, according to the official FightMetric statistics.
Throughout their 15 minutes together, she noticeably outpaced Pennington—punctuating each strike with a loud kiai—but many of her punches came up well short of the mark. Her high kick attempts mostly sailed over Pennington’s head, and Holm looked tight, with her combinations coming off rigid and forced.
She established a slim lead during the first two rounds, but Pennington—in her fourth UFC fight—didn’t go away. She slowly whittled into the lead with counterstrikes, bloodying Holm’s nose and sending her stumbling to the mat at one point with an off-the-mark punch that landed in the crook between Holm’s neck and shoulder.
Holm was the rightful winner of a rightfully close decision, and the bout wasn’t as bad the boos from the crowd in Los Angeles or the biting reviews on social media made it seem. But this was also not the potential star we’d seen tear through lesser competition in smaller events.
And, again, maybe that’s for the best.
In retrospect, the worst thing that could have happened to Holm would have been a title fight against Rousey in her Octagon debut. It likewise would be a mistake to thrust her into a bout with the champion in her second UFC fight or maybe even her third.
Against Pennington, Holm did not leave the impression that her high-volume but low-impact striking style would have much for Rousey. Already 33 years old, it seems doubtful she’ll ever be able to close the gap on the wickedly strong, technically exquisite champ, who has reportedly been arm-barring people since before she could walk.
But to even see Holm give her best performance against Rousey—if she ever gets there—she’ll need her legs under her in the UFC. That’s going to take a few more outings, preferably in high-profile spots, on television or pay-per-view.
The building blocks for a formidable force in the women’s bantamweight division were there on Saturday. At 5’8”, Holm towered over Pennington, who is listed (perhaps generously) at 5’7”. Her mobility was superb, and her takedown defense was impressive. She unleashed punching and kicking combinations with remarkable skill and range.
But make no mistake: UFC debuts are hard.
Ask Anthony Pettis. Ask Shogun Rua. Ask Brock Lesnar.
After all, this was just Holm’s third professional MMA fight outside her home state of New Mexico and her first against UFC-level competition. Even if Pennington came in at 5-4 overall (2-1 UFC) and was largely viewed as a showcase opponent for Holm, there were other obstacles in her way.
Surely, while going 7-0 on the indy scene and 32-2-3 during a professional boxing career from 2002-13, nothing prepared her for the bright lights of a UFC co-main event. Certainly there was no way to prep for fighting in front of nearly 18,000 fans at Staples Center, most of whom had already been told by the UFC that Holm was something special.
Even after an underwhelming first impression, she can still be a very good fighter in the 135-pound women’s division. It’s just going to take some time to acclimate herself.
Let Rousey fight Cris “Cyborg” Justino. Seriously, make that fight at any weight. Just make it.
Let her fight anybody but Holm—for a little while, anyway.
A prospective bout between the two will still be interesting enough not to rush it. If we’re eventually going to see Rousey vs. Holm, there’s no harm in waiting until we get the best version of both.
Ronda Rousey defended the UFC women’s bantamweight championship at UFC 184, and the fight capped off a solid evening of performances.
The five-fight main card delivered four finishes, and each one was exciting. Three of the four finishes earned perform…
Ronda Rousey defended the UFC women’s bantamweight championship at UFC 184, and the fight capped off a solid evening of performances.
The five-fight main card delivered four finishes, and each one was exciting. Three of the four finishes earned performance bonuses. That tells you just how solid this main card was in regards to excitement.
Three of the four finishes Saturday came in the first round of action.
The UFC 184 main card fighters got after it. They wasted no time in seeking fight-ending offense. This is the kind of main card fans want in this sport. Fans want fighters going after finishes early and often. It is easier said than done, but the UFC 184 main card victors sure made it look easy.
How did each one grade out?
Here are the grades for each participant on the main card.
The conversation about the most impressive performances Saturday night has to begin with Ronda Rousey. It took the UFC women’s bantamweight champion just 14 seconds to submit Cat Zingano in the UFC 184 main event.
Zingano was supposed to represent the …
The conversation about the most impressive performances Saturday night has to begin with Ronda Rousey. It took the UFC women’s bantamweight champion just 14 seconds to submit Cat Zingano in the UFC 184 main event.
Zingano was supposed to represent the toughest test for Rousey to date. I guess the champ didn’t get the memo. After side-stepping Zingano‘s amateurish attempt at a running knee in the first two seconds of the fight, Rousey took Zingano down and quickly forced her to submit to her patented armbar.
When an entire fight could fit in an Instagram video, that’s pretty insane.
Afterwards, there was joy from the winner, per ESPN, and ‘cussin from the loser, per MMA Fighting.
Back in the locker room, only winners get to talk to Fish Mooney (aka Jada Pinkett Smith):
Though all other performances from Saturday paled in comparison, here are two winners who deserve to be recognized.
Tony Ferguson
Tony Ferguson didn’t just beat GleisonTibau; he dismantled him with violent concision. In the very first round, Ferguson used his length advantage to sting the UFC veteran with strikes. Tibau was dazed, and Ferguson wasted no time taking control of the situation.
He pounced on him, took his back and sunk in a rear-naked choke to earn the biggest victory of his career.
Ferguson came in unranked amongst welterweights, but that should change soon—at least it will if Fox Sports’ Damon Martin and I have our way.
Ferguson has won five fights in a row, and the win over Tibau should gain him some much-deserved attention.
Alan Jouban
He may be a prospective model, but no one can call him soft. On Saturday, he showed his striking prowess when he landed a vicious elbow to the side of Richard Walsh’s head.
The shot took Walsh’s legs from under him and led to the stoppage win for Jouban.
The fight was supposed to be a tough one for Jouban, and Walsh came in with some decent credentials as a striker. After the two exchanged some kicks to the body early on, Jouban forced the fight to the cage and made quick work of his opponent in the first round. He’s one to watch in the welterweight division as well.
Perhaps he and Ferguson could fight next.
Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.
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