Rousey vs. Correia Results: Winner and Storylines to Watch After UFC 190

Ronda Rousey took her time securing her sixth UFC title defense Saturday against Bethe Correia at UFC 190 in Rio de Janeiro.
Well, sort of, at least.
It took Rousey 34 seconds to score a violent knockout rarely seen in the division. By comparison, she …

Ronda Rousey took her time securing her sixth UFC title defense Saturday against Bethe Correia at UFC 190 in Rio de Janeiro.

Well, sort of, at least.

It took Rousey 34 seconds to score a violent knockout rarely seen in the division. By comparison, she needed 14 seconds to submit Cat Zingano and 16 to score a knockout of Alexis Davis.

Still, Rousey took care of business in shocking fashion, playing to her opponent’s strengths and still emerging the sport’s top force. The ripple effect will prove vast, so after a look at the main card’s results, let’s look at some of the storylines to watch.

 

UFC Main Card 190 Results

 

Storylines to Watch After UFC 190

Bethe Correia‘s Bright Future

The globe didn’t get to learn much about Correia on Saturday, which is a shame given her immense talent and bright future.

Correia did the smart thing against Rousey, feeling out the opponent and attempting to step into the trading game, her strength. It failed, of course, but it was better than not entering the Octagon at all.

ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto captured the challenger’s thoughts on the quick finish:

I think she felt my strikes. She tried to grab me. I defended takedowns. Those things happen. Her hands landed. That’s her merit. I fell but I thought I was doing the right game, which was to attack, counterattack, defend takedowns and hit her. In that moment, I slipped. I got up. She connected a good punch. That’s it. That’s fighting.

Still, Correia lasted longer than most and 20 seconds longer than Zingano. It’s just where the sport stands given Rousey‘s jaw-dropping dominance, and as such, it won’t take long for Correia to get back into the No. 1 contender realm.

Remember, she beat Shayna Baszler at UFC 177 via a Round 2 TKO and Jessamyn Duke at UFC 172 via unanimous decision. She’s versatile, and while her best wasn’t good enough, it wouldn’t be hard to sell her as a major threat after a few strong showings.

Speaking of those, it’s easy to see where Correia goes next—down the ladder like the rest. It figures to be temporary, with a bout against Jessica Eye or someone else on the slate.

Regardless, don’t expect Correia to go away anytime soon. Her next move is something to monitor.

 

Rousey‘s Next Move

It takes someone on a different level to walk into a combat sport, ignore her strength, use her opponent’s and escape with a victory wild enough to stir up a social media frenzy—then walk out like it was just another day at the office.

Whether it was pre-fight trash talk or something else, Rousey walked right in and traded blows, something—in theory—that should have put her at a disadvantage against such a brilliant striker.

Instead, the globe watched in awe as Rousey completed her journey of evolution as a fighter, perhaps staking claim to the most well-rounded fighter in the sport’s history. Dana White put it best, per Fox Sports Live:

So, what’s next?

Another fight with Miesha Tate would make some sense. Remember, the last one went to Round 3 at UFC 168 before the dreaded armbar. Three chances against Rousey seems a bit much for any challenger, but Tate’s won four in a row and represents a serious threat.

Of course, so does one Cristiane Justino. As White notes, via MMAFighting.com, out-of-Octagon things need to come together:

The Cyborg hasn’t lost since 2005 unless one factors in the no-decision from 2011. She represents the fight everyone wants to see and perhaps the best challenge for Rousey, so expect to hear more about the hypothetical matchup if the Cyborg can make it happen.

No matter whom she fights, it’s clear Rousey can win via any approach.

 

Note: Stats and info courtesy of UFC.com unless otherwise specified.

 

Follow Chris_Roling on Twitter

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Rousey vs. Correia: Results, Highlights and Post-Fight Comments from UFC 190

By Ronda Rousey’s standards, Saturday night’s fight against Bethe Correia was a marathon. Of course, when your previous two fights lasted a combined 30 seconds, well, a fight that makes it to the 34-second mark must feel like an eternity.&nbs…

By Ronda Rousey‘s standards, Saturday night’s fight against Bethe Correia was a marathon. Of course, when your previous two fights lasted a combined 30 seconds, well, a fight that makes it to the 34-second mark must feel like an eternity. 

Rousey was again dominant, knocking Correia out with a right hand in a fight that had a lot of tension in the lead-up after Correia said she hoped Rousey didn’t “commit suicide” while predicting she would beat her in May. Rousey‘s father committed suicide when she was eight and, while Correia apologized for the remarks, it was clear there was a different level of animosity between the fighters than usual.

Indeed, even after dominating Correia, there was no love lost between the two.

“I said the exact same thing she was saying to me at the weigh-ins when she was screaming in my face at weigh-ins,” Rousey said at the post-fight press conference, per Fox Sports. “She was saying ‘Don’t cry.’ So I turned around to her after I knocked her out and I said ‘Don’t cry.'”

Rousey also admitted she wanted to knock out Correia in a post-fight interview.

It’s very possible it was Correia‘s strategy all along to get Rousey riled up to the point that the champion didn’t fight technically sound and came into the Octagon angry and unfocused. Indeed, Rousey came out swinging and didn’t look particularly strategic. 

But it didn’t matter in the end, as Rousey reminded folks that she can brawl with anyone. Angry or focused; armbar or right hand; Rousey has plenty of tools in her arsenal to finish an opponent quickly.

It was another example of just how transcendentally dominant Rousey has become, per Alessandro Miglio of Bleacher Report: 

Lionel Messi might have something to say about that, but the point stands: Rousey is, at the very least, as dominant in her sport as any other athlete is in their particular sport. And she’s at the point where she’s also garnering comparisons to some of history’s other dominant fighters, per ESPN Stats & Information:

It’s hard to imagine anyone beating Rousey this point, outside of perhaps Cris “Cyborg” Justino, though that fight won’t happen until Cyborg gets down to 135 pounds. When—or if—she does, however, it will be one heck of a fight to see. 

For now, poor Miesha Tate will be getting back into the Octagon against Rousey for a third time. Rousey finished the first two fights against Tate with armbar submissions, with the second bout ending in 58 seconds.

She spoke about that matchup in her post-fight press conference.

As for the rest of the event, Maurcio “Shogun” Rua defeated Antonio Rogerio “Little Nog” Nogueira by unanimous decision, Glaico Franca beat Fernando Bruno by submission, Reginaldo Vieira won a unanimous decision over Dileno Lopes, Stefan Struve won a unanimous-decision victory over Antonio Rodrigo “Big Nog” Nogueira, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva knocked out Soa Palelei and Claudia Gadelha beat Jessica Aguilar by unanimous decision. 

But the night belonged to Rousey, which is becoming a very common theme for the fighter. Rousey has become one of the sport’s biggest superstars, and until someone actually offers her a challenge, she’ll continue to rule her sport with an iron fist. 

Just ask Correia.

 

Follow TRappaRT on Twitter

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Rousey vs. Correia Results: Immediate Post-Fight Comments and Top Highlights

“Rowdy” Ronda Rousey’s latest demolition took just 34 seconds on Saturday night in Brazil at UFC 190. Rousey destroyed Bethe Correia to remain undefeated and put a stamp on a grudge match between her and the Brazilian.
Rousey chose to brawl with C…

“Rowdy” Ronda Rousey‘s latest demolition took just 34 seconds on Saturday night in Brazil at UFC 190Rousey destroyed Bethe Correia to remain undefeated and put a stamp on a grudge match between her and the Brazilian.

Rousey chose to brawl with Correia in an effort to beat the challenger at her own game. From the beginning of the fight, Rousey claimed the center of the Octagon. Her punches had more snap and conviction, and they drove the challenger into the Octagon cage.

Shortly thereafter, a hard right hand caused Correia to face-plant, and the fight was over. J.Cerda has the brutal finish:

Immediately after, Rousey dedicated the victory to her late father and recently deceased WWE legend “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, per the UFC on Twitter. He inspired Rousey to adopt the same moniker.

Rousey‘s dad became a prominent figure during the pre-fight hype.

In an effort to get under Rousey‘s skin, Correia said she hoped Rousey wouldn’t kill herself after she beat her. Rousey‘s father committed suicide, and the champion took Correia‘s comment as a tasteless dig at her family history. 

She vowed to make her pay, and based on the results of the fight, it was mission accomplished. 

Rousey‘s win not only allowed her to stay undefeated and defend her title, it also earned her another Fight Night bonus, per the UFC on Twitter:

It didn’t take Rousey long start looking ahead. Per Jason Floyd of the MMA Report, Rousey said she’d like to be on the Conor McGregor vs. Jose Aldo card.

Old nemesis Miesha Tate will be next for Rousey. Tate beat Jessica Eye at UFC on Fox 16 to earn her third chance to beat Rousey. Despite the fact Tate has shown resiliency and that she’s the only opponent to make it out of the first round with the champion, she won’t be given much of a chance to beat Rousey.

Instead, most of the questions at the post-event press conference centered around a fighter who isn’t yet in the UFC. Cris “Cyborg” Santos and Rousey have traded barbs for years, and now it appears the UFC and the Invicta featherweight are trying to come to an agreement, per Floyd:

If Cyborg can make 135 pounds, it would be the biggest event one the UFC’s calendar, no matter when it takes place.

The truth is: the UFC needs Cyborg. There aren’t any legitimate threats to Rousey in the UFC. At this point, every single fighter in the women’s bantamweight division would be a hard sell as a real contender.

Hopefully, we’ll get a chance to see the only fight left for Rousey to have in her career.


Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter

Follow <spandata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 190 Results: Winners and Scorecards from Rousey vs. Correia Fight Card

There were no surprises, just more dominance on Saturday in Brazil at UFC 190. “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey remained undefeated. She defended her UFC women’s bantamweight championship with a lopsided first-round TKO victory over Bethe Correia.
The win took jus…

There were no surprises, just more dominance on Saturday in Brazil at UFC 190. “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey remained undefeated. She defended her UFC women’s bantamweight championship with a lopsided first-round TKO victory over Bethe Correia.

The win took just 34 seconds to complete. The UFC was quick to congratulate its most dominant champion via Twitter:

Here’s a look at all of the results from the night of fights in Brazil.

 

Untouchable

Most of the bravado and fighting spirit seemed to be leaving Correia as she walked to the Octagon. The fierceness that she’d shown throughout the hype of the bout was seemingly replaced by nervous anxiety.

When she got to the stare down in the Octagon, she just looked plain scared. Moments later, we’d find out why Correia was so frightened. Rousey not only stopped Correia, she did it by fighting the challenger’s style.

Correia is a grinding brawler and Rousey made it more of a fight than a neat battle of MMA skills. It took twice as long for her to finish Correia than it took to beat Cat Zingano in her last fight, but the performance was just as dominant.

Combination punching and constant pressure told the short story in this one. Rousey put the challenger against the cage and with strikes to the midsection and head. The finishing blow was a right hand to the head that caused Correia to face plant.

How do you know when an athlete has gone to the next level? Stars from every level of entertainment tweet congratulations. Everyone from Nick Jonas to Shaquille O’Neal acknowledged Rousey‘s continued success:

When it was over, Rousey spoke to the UFC’s Joe Rogan and dedicated the win to her deceased father and the late “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. The latter passed away on Friday, per CNN.com

Rousey‘s father became a central figure in the hype for the main event after Correia said that she hoped Rousey didn’t kill herself after she beat her. The comment struck a nerve because Rousey‘s father committed suicide when she was a child.

Rousey vowed to make Correia pay for her poor choice of words and she did just that on Saturday. A third battle with Miesha Tate is next for Rousey. Tate defeated Jessica Eye at UFC on Fox 16 to earn the No. 1 contender spot.

Quite honestly, there’s a clear lack of formidable competition for Rousey. It speaks to how great and ahead of her time Rousey is in the sport. At this point, she is peerless and most won’t give Tate much of a chance to win the third time around.

Correia will go back to being just another Rousey victim scratching for a piece of the mythical second place trophy. She and every other female fighter aren’t in the champion’s league.

 

Shogun Takes Rematch

The sequel wasn’t as good as the original.

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira I was a tough act to follow. It was especially difficult to re-create the energy and emotion from a fight that took place 10 years ago. Neither Rua or Nogueira are the same fighters they were when the two teamed together for a true MMA classic.

On Saturday, the exciting moments were kept exclusively to the first round. Rua controlled the early part of the first round, but he got caught with a hard right hand that wobbled him.

Nogueira went looking for the finish, but Rua was able to survive the round. Here’s a look at the sequence, per the UFC:

In the second round, hard body kicks kept Rua in control of the action and he mixed in a takedown to regain control of the bout. It was more of the same in the third as Rua seemed to coast to the win in the final round. Here’s one of the kicks that pushed Shogun to the win:

Neither of these legends would stand much of a chance against younger and more dangerous opponents. It almost makes you think the UFC should have a legends division for the old guys that just won’t retire.

In a perfect world, neither Rua or Nogueira would fight again. In reality, we’ll probably see both men underwhelm us once more.

 

Biggest Loser

Magny

Many didn’t expect Magny to defeat Maia, but how many thought he would get completely dominated and made to look like a novice? That’s exactly what happened. Take a look at the fight stats, per Jason Floyd on the MMA Report:

If that’s not domination, then nothing is.

Magny had won seven fights in a row coming into the bout, but it was clear the streak was about the competition as much as it was Magny‘s development. He crashed into his ceiling as a mixed martial artist hard on Saturday night.

 

What’s Next

The UFC comes back to the states for the next show. On August 8 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, former Tennessee Volunteers football player and current light heavyweight wrecking machine, Ovince Saint Preux will face Glover Teixeira. 

The bout is a key clash between fighters attempting to position themselves for the next shot at the title. 

In the co-main event, two lightweights riding four-fight win streaks will battle for a spot in the top 15. Michael Johnson faces Beneil Dariush in an intriguing battle between well-rounded fighters. The fights keep coming.

 

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter 

Follow <spandata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Watch Ronda Rousey Destroy Bethe Correia in 34 Seconds at UFC 190

Thirty-four seconds. The Queen of the UFC never ceases to amaze.
Ronda Rousey was intent on punishing opponent Bethe Correia, and she did just that. Rousey stood and exchanged with the Brazilian striker, took her best shot and then iced her. Correia la…

Thirty-four seconds. The Queen of the UFC never ceases to amaze.

Ronda Rousey was intent on punishing opponent Bethe Correia, and she did just that. Rousey stood and exchanged with the Brazilian striker, took her best shot and then iced her. Correia lasted longer than Rousey‘s previous two opponents, but that wasn’t a tall hurdle to cross.

There was not a lot of action to break down in those 34 seconds. It was just Rousey coming forward and looking to land on Correia‘s face.

The reigning champion stated in the post-fight interview that she hopes no one ever brings up her family in trash talk ever again, and if they are smart, they won’t. Rousey showcased her knockout power at UFC 190.

This kind of KO is rare in women’s MMA, but Rousey‘s handspeed and torque from her core allow her to generate incredible power. Ask Correia or Alexis Davis. In both fights, Rousey did extraordinary damage with basic shots. She continues to evolve her game, and she becomes more terrifying in each outing.

Rousey is a rare talent. She doesn’t just beat her opponents; she embarrasses them.

That is exactly what she planned to do to Correia, and that is what she did. Correia fell to the canvas in comical fashion. It will be a scene thrown on highlight videos for years to come, ensuring that she will have to continually relive that moment.

Up next for Rousey will be the third fight with Miesha Tate. Tate has lasted longer than any other fighter against Rousey, and she is beginning to add more power to her punches. However, after UFC 190, perhaps that, too, is a bad plan of attack. We will see that fight next, but no date or venue is set.

Until then, enjoy the spectacle of Ronda Rousey‘s dominance.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 190 Results: The Good, the Bad and the Strange from Brazil

Ronda Rousey’s entrance into the Octagon has become a grand spectacle in the sports world.
The women’s bantamweight phenom has become one of the biggest stars in the mainstream sporting sphere, and her presence draws attention far beyond the borders of…

Ronda Rousey’s entrance into the Octagon has become a grand spectacle in the sports world.

The women’s bantamweight phenom has become one of the biggest stars in the mainstream sporting sphere, and her presence draws attention far beyond the borders of the MMA community. In less than three years competing under the UFC banner, the former Olympic judoka turned MMA sensation has dominated the women’s 135-pound ranks to become one of the biggest stars on the landscape of combat sports.

Rousey’s championship reign has kicked open the doors to Hollywood for the California native to produce roles in blockbuster franchises, and the future appears to be megawatt for the 28-year-old wrecking machine. That said, everything that could potentially materialize on the horizon for Rousey is directly attached to her ability to continue her dominance on the biggest stage in MMA.

All she needs to do is continue doing what she does best, and her next opportunity to do so came front and center at UFC 190 on Saturday night in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The women’s bantamweight titleholder put her strap on the line against undefeated contender Bethe Correia in a highly anticipated grudge match that came on the challenger’s native soil. Pitbull worked a diligent campaign to earn her shot at championship gold, and Rousey was determined to prove the scrappy Brazilian had bitten off more than she could chew.

And while the UFC touted Correia as Rousey’s biggest test inside the Octagon to date, those are the measures a promotion has to take when their champion has looked nothing short of bulletproof in her five previous title defenses in the UFC. She was a heavy favorite going into the main event tilt, and rightfully so, as Rousey absolutely trucked Correia via knockout 34 seconds into the fight.

Rousey came out guns blazing from the jump, and half a minute later, Correia went crashing face first into the canvas. Going into the fight, many figured turning the bout into a brawl would be Correia’s only hope, but even a slug fest couldn’t save the challenger, as Rousey snuffed her out with a right hand in a wild exchange to make her sixth successful title defense.

It was another amazing showing from Rousey and added one more lightning-quick finish to her already amazing resume.

It was a solid night of fights in Rio de Janeiro. Let’s take a look at the good, the bad and the strange from UFC 190.

 

The Good

If there is a ceiling for Rousey’s talent, it has yet to be found. 

The women’s bantamweight champion has steamrolled and finished every opponent she’s faced inside the Octagon, and she added another victim to her list on Saturday night at UFC 190. The Rowdy one absolutely drubbed title challenger Correia in a fight in which she abandoned her signature clinch game and employed a full-throttle striking attack. Rousey went after the scrappy Brazilian from the get-go, and a short time later, Correia was lights out on the canvas.

Where she earned her superstar status for her penchant for armbarring her opposition, Rousey has added a new page to her run of dominance over the past year, as she’s been settling opponents at the end of her strikes. Rousey has always been well above her competition from a technical and athletic standpoint, but developing knockout power in her hands serves to create that much more distance between the champion and the rest of the women’s 135-pound collective.

And that brings us to Cyborg. Cristiane Justino is the only fighter in the realm of women’s MMA who could compete with the juggernaut that is the current version of Rousey. The Brazilian wrecking machine and the bantamweight phenom have been hovering around one another since they were both fighting under the Strikeforce banner, and the time has come for the UFC to go all out to make their long-awaited fight finally come to fruition.

Granted, getting Cyborg down to 135 pounds will be a big hurdle to clear, especially with USADA’s upcoming IV ban coming into place, but that is the only fight left to make. Rousey is slated to face Miesha Tate for a third time in the coming months, but with the previous two fights ending in dominant fashion, there is no reason to think the third fight will end any differently.

Rousey is just that good, and from the work she showed en route to toppling Correia on Saturday night, she’s only getting better.

***

While he’s no longer the perennial contender he once was, Mauricio Rua can still get out there and bang with the best of them. Anytime the former UFC champion steps into the cage, he brings the violence, and there was certainly plenty of brutality to go around in his rematch with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 190.

Lil Nog rocked Rua in the opening round, which forced the legendary striker to shift into full desperation mode. Fortunately for fight fans, a desperate Rua means fists fly with reckless abandon, and the opening round turned into a full scale shootout between the two gritty veterans.

The final two rounds slowed down a bit, as Rua and Nogueira went to the ground, but the closing moments of the tilt saw the fisticuffs once again in full force. Rua ultimately took the win on the judges’ scorecards and snapped a two-fight skid in the process.

***

Stefan Struve broke out of his recent rough patch on Saturday night, outworking Brazilian legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira to pick up  unanimous-decision victory at UFC 190.

The Skyscraper used his reach advantage to pepper Minotauro with big shots throughout the three-round affair, as he wobbled the former heavyweight champion with crisp punches on several occasions. While the Dutchman was unable to put Nogueira away, Struve did enough to sweep the judges’ scorecards and pick up his first win inside the Octagon since defeating Stipe Miocic back in 2012.

***

No fighter on the lineup for UFC 190 needed a victory more than Antonio Silva. The former heavyweight title challenger came into his bout with Soa Palelei having failed to find the win column in four straight showings inside the cage, and a loss to the Hulk would have all but sealed his fate in the UFC.

Nevertheless, Bigfoot rebounded from a tough opening round to flex his power on Palelei and put away the veteran powerhouse with a flurry in the second round. It wasn’t a pretty performance from Silva, but his win guarantees he’ll live to see another day under the UFC banner.

***

After the women’s strawweight title barely eluded Claudia Gadelha in her first attempt at championship gold, the Nova Uniao product wants nothing more than to get another crack at Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

The 26-year-old Brazilian striker left zero doubt about a title shot being next up for her as she battered highly touted newcomer Jessica Aguilar from pillar to post in their fight on Saturday. While Aguilar has built a career on her aggression, Gadelha’s out-savaged her en route to picking up the unanimous-decision victory.

The only fight to make is a rematch with Joanna Champion. It needs to happen. It needs to happen so much.

***

Demian Maia has been competing against the best fighters in the world for the better part of the past decade, and he was determined to stop Neil Magny’s attempt to break through into deeper waters at UFC 190.

As it was, the Brazilian submissions ace allowed the Colorado native to step out into the deeper waters, then drowned The Ultimate Fighter alum with his signature brand of jiu-jitsu. Maia snapped Magny’s seven-fight winning streak by working his ground talents until the up-and-coming welterweight was forced to tap to a rear-naked choke in the second round.

It was a clinic in ground fighting from Maia from start to finish, and his win on Saturday night will keep his status in the talent-rich 170-pound division intact.

***

There isn’t a whole lot of flash in Patrick Cummins’ game, but he continues to get the job done inside the Octagon. The former Penn State wrestler played to his strengths once again, pounding out Rafael Cavalcante in the final round of their tilt at UFC 190.

While Durkin’s face got shredded in the first two rounds, he stuck to his guns and used his wrestling to wear down the heavy-handed Brazilian until he used a storm of elbows on the canvas to secure the victory. With his win on Saturday, Cummins has now found victory in four of his six showings under the UFC banner.

***

The welterweight division has a certified prospect in Warlley Alves. The undefeated 24-year-old Brazilian gained entry into the UFC by winning the third season of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil and has carried that momentum into his run in the 170-pound ranks under the UFC banner.

With each step taken, the buzz around him has increased, and it will do so even more following his submission victory over Nordine Taleb at UFC 190. It was a closely contested affair, but Alves secured the guillotine choke in the second round to pick up his third consecutive victory inside the Octagon.

 

The Bad

There was a time where Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira was one of the best heavyweight fighters in the world. Those days have officially come and gone.

While walking away from the fight game is a decision every fighter makes on their own, retirement seems to be a conclusion Minotauro will be arriving at soon. The former UFC and Pride champion suffered his third loss in as many fights when he came out on the wrong end of a unanimous decision at the hands of Stefan Struve at UFC 190. Nogueira has now been defeated in all but one of his past five showings inside the Octagon and has looked to be a shell of his former self in the process. 

That’s a tough look for a fighter who was once at the top of the game, but time and a collection of memorable wars under the bright lights, have combined to take their toll on Nogueira. The 39-year-old Brazilian grappling ace simply can’t perform at the physical level he once could, and when a fighter is unable to use the weapons that made him successful in the first place, it’s high time to call it a day.

Nogueira built a legendary career on his ability to overcome adversity, but Father Time is an opponent who won’t let up at the bell. 

***

The rough road Rafael Cavalcante has been traveling of late is about to get a lot rougher following his loss at UFC 190. The former Strikeforce champion was outworked by Patrick Cummins en route to taking a loss via TKO on Saturday night, which is his third setback over his past four showings inside the Octagon.

While only two of those defeats have come in consecutive fashion, and he’ll more than likely hold his roster spot following his performance in Rio de Janeiro, the days of Cavalcante being considered a major threat in the light heavyweight ranks are all but over. 

***

While a Ronda Rousey fight is going to amp up any card, filling said card with six other fights is a tough pull for fans tuning into a pay-per-view. Granted, more action is typically something fans are going to celebrate, but seven bouts was just too much.

A lot of that had to do with the UFC planting two TUF fights in the middle of the main card line up. Granted, at least one of those bouts turned into all-out slug fest, but having no clue about who was involved in the bouts only made them more of an annoyance in the grand scheme of things.

All we can hope is that putting TUF fights on a pay-per-view card is a decision they don’t make again. Even UFC fanatic Mario Lopez thought it was too much to handle, and he put up with Screech for five seasons.

 

The Strange

The Ronda Rousey Effect is true cultural phenomenon. 

While anything that manages to carry out of the small, insular bubble that is the MMA community and reach the mainstream is always worth noting, the level of insanity of Rousey’s climb to the top of the combat sports world has produced a reaction never before seen in mixed martial arts.

Pound-for-pound greats such as Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva never registered the pop the women’s bantamweight champion brings, and even the tremendous buzz surrounding Irish star Conor McGregor pales in comparison.

That’s an impressive accomplishment by any measure, especially since UFC President Dana White once infamously stated women would never compete inside the Octagon. Rousey has broken down barriers during her time competing in the structure, and her efforts to blaze a trail have extended far beyond the sport she competes in.

Fans cry when they meet her. Celebrities take to Twitter in force to show their support for her on fight night. Joe Rogan threw around labels such as “cultural icon” and “hero” to describe her in the buildup to her bout with Bethe Correia on Saturday night. While you can either take or leave any one of those things, the thing that can’t be denied is the caliber of dominance and destruction she brings into the Octagon.

Rousey is simply a force of nature, and one that delivers punishment with the worst of intentions. Neither of her previous two opponents coming into UFC 190 made it out of the opening round with her, as she used Alexis Davis and Cat Zingano to cement her place in the record books with 16- and 14 second finishes respectively. Finishing elite-level fighters with tornadoes of violence will make people sit up and take notice, but continuing to do it is going to launch her even further out into the stratosphere.

Her meteoric rise will have only picked up more speed after she smashed Correia in 34 seconds at UFC 190. Deservedly so. At this point, it seems as if Rousey is in full control of how far she will travel into stardom, and the higher she flies, the greater her impact will become. Her continued rise will also serve to the greater overall good of the sport, and that’s just one of what seems like a million feathers in Rousey’s cap at the current time.

The dominant champion has truly transcended the sport in which she competes, and fans need to enjoy her while she’s around. No fighter stays great forever, and there is no question we are seeing Rousey at her greatest. How long will that last? Only Rousey knows that at this point, but with big Hollywood gigs and paydays that don’t involve eating punches filling up her schedule, it’s safe to say Rousey’s run in the UFC could be ending just up around the bend.

 

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com