Tag: UFC 190

Ronda Rousey vs. Bethe Correia: What We Learned from UFC 190 Title Fight

Champions rarely escape the limits of the sport they dominate.
In mixed martial arts, a growing international entity, it is even harder.
But through sheer natural skill, mental fortitude and an unbelievable knack for finishing fights in dramatic fashio…

Champions rarely escape the limits of the sport they dominate.

In mixed martial arts, a growing international entity, it is even harder.

But through sheer natural skill, mental fortitude and an unbelievable knack for finishing fights in dramatic fashion, UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey has ascended beyond her UFC boundaries.

Coming into her showdown with Bethe Correia at UFC 190 as an undefeated champion in search of her sixth straight title defense, Rousey needed her best Octagon assets to defeat a Brazilian with vicious punching power and boiled blood.

When it was all over, Correia’s home-field advantage and tenacity leading up to this fight were not enough to ward off Rousey’s quick striking and blistering power, evident by the champ’s first-round knockout.

Here is what we learned from Saturday’s title tilt as Rousey continues to reign atop the MMA world.

 

What We’ll Remember About This Fight

While Correia didn’t charge Rousey like many former title threats, she was unable to get into any sort of groove before the champion rushed in herself and forced her to exchange.

The pace and in-close striking were supposed to favor the Brazilian bruiser, but Rousey’s elevated combinations and punching speed were simply too much.

It was arguably the most memorable finish in women’s MMA history, as the best female fighter ever added to an already padded resume.

The finish was not only scary due to the fact that we rarely see a knockout like that within the division, but also because Rousey beat Correia at her own bread and butter.

 

What We Learned About Rousey

There’s little room for improvement when it comes to Rousey’s grappling and clinch game. It’s unequivocally effective.

But if there was a facet of her game that required the evolution to cement her as a near-perfect Octagon entity, it would be her striking.

Saturday night, against one of the division’s most potent strikers, Rousey rose to the occasion by securing one of the best knockout finishes in UFC history on the heels of penetrating punches and polished fluidity.

It’s quite remarkable considering Rousey is getting better every time she steps into the Octagon.

Not to mention she showcased one heck of a chin in the process.

 

What We Learned About Correia

There isn’t much to take away from Pitbull’s performance Saturday night except maybe the fact that she lasted 20 more seconds inside of the cage than Cat Zingano did at UFC 184.

The Brazilian certainly had the support of her hometown, which wasn’t the case at Friday’s weigh-ins, but her inability to withstand Rousey’s punishment was her ultimate demise.

Correia’s initial patience and willingness to feel the champ out certainly seemed like a logical approach, but ultimately, the challenger got schooled at her own game.

Understanding where she went wrong in this loss will help round out her skill set as she looks to avoid a similar fate in her next bout.

 

What’s Next for Rousey

Miesha Tate, come on down.

While many people around the sport, writers and forgiving fans included, may scoff at the idea of Tate getting a third shot to defeat Rousey, Cupcake has earned the right.

She has essentially improved her athletic capabilities inside the cage and showcased a tougher presence on the feet.

Rousey would obviously be the odds-on favorite as she aims to close this chapter forever.

 

What’s Next for Correia

Just like former undefeated top contenders like Sara McMann and Zingano, Correia will now be pushed back down the 135-pound ladder.

Her performance was too short to suggest she’ll never regain No. 1 contender status in the future, but it’s telling that she was unable to handle the inside punching power of a fighter known for her grappling.

An upcoming bout with Jessica Eye or the loser of McMann vs. Amanda Nunes at UFC Fight Night 73 next week makes the most sense.

She’s at least four victories away from fighting for Rousey’s illustrious title again.

 

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UFC 190 Results: What We Learned from Shogun Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

The rematch of one of the best MMA fights in PRIDE history took place at UFC 190. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira went toe-to-toe.
There was a feeling out process early, but they were searching for homeruns. Both Shogun a…

The rematch of one of the best MMA fights in PRIDE history took place at UFC 190. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira went toe-to-toe.

There was a feeling out process early, but they were searching for homeruns. Both Shogun and Nogueira narrowly missed heavy punches as they wanted to end it early. They were not afraid to mix it up in the pocket.

Nogueira stunned Shogun, but the former champion covered up and responded. He was on wobbly legs for a long time, but he stayed right in the fight. Shogun then landed clean to stun Nogueira. A crazy end to the first round helped revitalize a crowd that had lost some of its enthusiasm prior to the contest.

Shogun opened the second round with a takedown. Eventually, Nogueira used his jiu-jitsu experience to work his way back to the feet. It was evident that Rua was less interested to have a pure striking exchange after being badly hurt in the first round.

Rua was looking for the takedowns again in the final round. He landed some strong leg kicks in the final two frames, but he was avoiding a wild exchange at all cost. He got more patient, and it paid off. His more methodical approach allowed him to score enough to win the fight on the scorecards.

 

What We’ll Remember About This Fight

A crazy flurry in the final minute-plus of the first round was the most memorable portion of the fight.

They worked out their range and pacing early in the round, and when Nogueira clocked Shogun he went in for the finish. It didn’t prove to happen as Shogun covered up well and fired back, but that only made it more fun.

Shogun landed flush to back Nogueira off of him, but soon he returned. They threw heavy leather in the pocket. The horn sounded and the crowd rose to their feet.

 

What We Learned About Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

Is it wrong to say that we learned nothing?

This was the same old Nogueira, and after he rocked Rua in the first round he didn’t turn up the tempo again. He didn’t try to make it ugly. That was where he had the most success, but then he abandoned it. It cost him the fight.

I think we have learned just about all we can from Nogueira. There’s nothing new to his tactics.

 

What We Learned About Shogun Rua

We learned that he can still fight smart.

His aggression has been a downfall for him in recent outings, and it was very nearly his downfall at UFC 190. However, he survived and fought much more smartly in the final two rounds. If he does that, he can still compete with many in this division.

Rua has quality striking and grappling, but he just doesn’t have the chin to use all-out aggression anymore.

 

What’s Next for Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

Patrick Cummins.

Yes, Nogueira lost, but he still looked pretty good out there. The matchup against Cummins would be a good test for Cummins‘ evolution as a fighter. He loves to use his wrestling and grind, but Nogueira’s ground game would be a serious threat.

That would be a quality fight for a Fight Night event. It has a little value for both men with their ranking in the division.

 

What’s Next for Shogun Rua

Shogun is a top 10 fighter in a thin division. The ranking is misleading because he isn’t an upper echelon fighter anymore. The fight that makes the most sense is against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

It is another PRIDE rematch that hardcore fans can enjoy without having any big impact on the division.

If the UFC could make that happen for their return to Japan it would make even more sense, but that may be unlikely. Regardless, Shogun should not be involved in any top tier bout in the light heavyweight division. No value in that.

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UFC 190 Results: What We Learned from Stefan Struve vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira entered UFC 190 fighting for a storybook ending to his legendary career. He didn’t get it.
For most of the fight, his opponent, Stefan Struve, utilized his absurdly long reach to peg Nogueira from a safe distance. While the for…

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira entered UFC 190 fighting for a storybook ending to his legendary career. He didn’t get it.

For most of the fight, his opponent, Stefan Struve, utilized his absurdly long reach to peg Nogueira from a safe distance. While the former Pride great occasionally worked things to the cage, he was never really able to convert it into takedowns, strikes or any real sustained offense.

The minutes wore on, and Struve’s landed strikes total kept on rising. So, too, did his score with the judges. In the end, the Skyscraper would walk away with a unanimous 30-27 decision win. So what did we learn?

 

Stefan Struve Has Not Really Improved

With his spindly limbs and colossal height and reach advantage, Struve could easily be a high-level heavyweight. His iffy performance against a plodding, old Nogueira, however, did not wow anyone who has been watching him for any length of time.

If there were ever a time where Struve should’ve looked unstoppable, it was right here. Nogueira was barely a practice dummy in this fight. His complete lack of explosiveness or power made it so Struve barely had to worry about return fire. This should have been the ultimate showcase match. Mookie Alexander of BloodyElbow.com wasn’t too impressed:

But sheesh, there wasn’t a moment in the fight where it really felt like Struve was dominating. That’s not good, ladies and gentlemen, and quite frankly, that sort of performance would have resulted in a loss against almost any other heavyweight.

 

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Really, Really Needs to Retire

This has been stated many times over, but it’s worth repeating. Nogueira really needs to retire. Really, really needs to.

Nogueira never mounted any form of sustained offense, outside a couple of blink-and-you-missed-it moments when the fight went to the ground. He was slow and lacked even the minimum level of explosiveness that an actual punch or kick needs.

Short of a Bellator post-lim card fight, there isn’t a single heavyweight in a major promotion that this writer can imagine Nogueira beating. Everything from here on is just shaving time off his golden years.

 

Stefan Struve Still Has Some Potential

Struve didn’t look great here, but it wasn’t the kind of performance that made him somebody to cash out on. It may take a while, and there’s no guarantee he’ll actually realize his potential, but the Skyscraper still seems like somebody who can grow into a top fighter.

Struve finally seems to know what he should be doing. While he isn’t necessarily executing it brilliantly, he is moving in a positive direction, and demonstrated every technique a lanky fighter should have in his arsenal (rear uppercut, front kick, jab, etc.). If he finally becomes comfortable standing and can finally start utilizing his length in more ways, it could get the ball rolling on a return to the top 10.

Will he ever be UFC champion at this point? Probably not. Still, there’s definitely a glimmer of hope there for the Dutchman.

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UFC 190 Results: What We Learned from Antonio Silva vs. Soa Palelei

Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva defeated Soa Palelei in the second fight of UFC 190’s main card. After back-to-back losses, Bigfoot’s back was against the wall, and he performed well enough to move right back into the thick of things at heavyweight…

Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva defeated Soa Palelei in the second fight of UFC 190‘s main card. After back-to-back losses, Bigfoot’s back was against the wall, and he performed well enough to move right back into the thick of things at heavyweight.

Bigfoot lost the opening round. He was doing well enough, but Palelei ended up in top position. “The Hulk” was not able to land too many clean blows to cause damage, but he did enough to secure the round. It was pretty even until the start of the second.

In less than a minute, Bigfoot won the fight. He wasted no time in finishing off Palelei and getting back in the win column. This is what we learned from the heavyweight battle.

 

What We’ll Remember About This Fight

Bigfoot Silva’s calculated work to end the fight.

Silva got Palelei against the cage and took his time. He landed several nice punches and a couple knees, but he didn’t go all-out opening up opportunities for Palelei to survive. He was measured in his approach to ensure he could finish the fight.

This was a much needed win for the Brazilian.

 

What We Learned About Soa Palelei

We learned he still has yet to develop any sensible cardio. The pace of the fight was not intense, but after just one round he was visibly slower. It is not a good look to get that tired that quickly.

If he did not gas as quickly, it is possible he would have been able to work off the cage, or at least clinch with the Brazilian to give himself time. Instead, he stood there and took a beating. Palelei hits hard, very hard, but he has never improved enough to become a legitimate threat to the top end of the division.

Very disappointing.

 

What We Learned About Bigfoot Silva

We learned that he is back to his old self. He looked quicker at UFC 190.

Silva was not as lumbering or slow in this fight. He also took a few clean punches, and he ate them well. It was a departure from his previous outings.

Is he going to contend for the title? Very unlikely. However, he can improve enough to work back into the discussion as an upper echelon heavyweight. He has solid ability standing and on the floor. He can be a gatekeeper to the elite.

 

What’s Next for Soa Palelei

There are limited options at heavyweight. Derrick Lewis seems like a good option.

Those two will sling until one or the other falls. It’ll be a good rebound for one of the two, and it will send the loser out of the UFC. Probably for the best.

 

What’s Next for Bigfoot Silva

Oleksiy Oliynyk.

Silva should not take on one of the top in the division right now, and a lot of the other fighters are coming off a loss. Also, this is a good test to see where Oliynyk is. Oliynyk is 2-0 in the UFC, and he needs a step up in competition.

This would serve as a quality main card tilt on just about any fight card. It serves a purpose.

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UFC 190 Results: What We Learned from Jessica Aguilar vs. Claudia Gadelha

UFC 190 kicked off with an important contender bout in the other women’s division, as Jessica Aguilar and Claudia Gadelha met to determine who would likely be next for a strawweight title shot. While the world was waiting to see Ronda Rousey ply …

UFC 190 kicked off with an important contender bout in the other women’s division, as Jessica Aguilar and Claudia Gadelha met to determine who would likely be next for a strawweight title shot. While the world was waiting to see Ronda Rousey ply her trade in the main event, Aguilar and Gadelha took advantage of the spotlight with a spirited affair of their own.

Over 15 minutes, Gadelha repeatedly scored with punching combinations and knees, punctuated by occasional takedowns, on her way to a unanimous decision win. Aguilar came on late, perhaps overcoming some Octagon jitters to steal the third round, but it was too little, too late.

Here’s what we learned.

 

What We’ll Remember

This fight showed how Gadelha had tightened up her game in an effort to get back to a rematch with Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

The first time they met, Jedrzejczyk narrowly came out on top in the decision. Over the course of Gadelha‘s bout with Aguilar, it became evident that she had worked hard to close the holes in her game that cost her the first meeting.

For the Brazilian, this might be remembered as the one before the one where she earned a title.

 

What We Learned About Aguilar

Aguilar is tough, durable and focused, and her lifetime of experience outside the UFC will serve her well now that she’s arrived in the big show. Once she loosened up later in the fight, she began tagging Gadelha with some consistency and showed that she can hang with the best in the division.

Considering that the division is still fairly new, there’s no reason to think that a loss against the top contender will set her back too much. It’s likely that she’ll hang around the top five in spite of her UFC 190 outcome, and from there she can get to work pushing her way into title contention.

People have debuted with worse in the UFC.

 

What We Learned About Gadelha

Gadelha’s ready, both mentally and physically, for her second try at Jedrzejczyk—this time for a world title. Their first meeting was a stepping stone for Joanna Champion to earn that namesake, and this time around Gadelha would enter as challenger.

Her relative domination of Aguilar, her poise in tough spots throughout the fight and her capacity to limit those tough spots through skill and force are all good signs for her going forward. That she took to English, a second language, in front of a partisan Brazilian crowd to specifically get Dana White’s attention and call for a title shot also shows some major growth in the mental side of the game.

UFC 190 was a major indicator that she’s ready for the biggest challenge in the game with the biggest prize out there on the line.

 

What’s Next for Aguilar

Carla Esparza is presently not booked and would be a perfect test for Aguilar. She’s also coming off a loss and was the first strawweight champion in the history of the promotion. It would make for an interesting bout, given the championship pedigree of Aguilar and the fact she did little to devalue her stock in the Gadelha loss.

If not Esparza, former Invicta atomweight champion Jessica Penne, also coming off a loss, could fit a similar bill.

 

What’s Next for Gadelha

As noted, it has to be Jedrzejczyk. The first fight was a razor thin decision, and Gadelha is undeniably the second-best strawweight on Earth. No one else makes sense competitively, a fact only punctuated by Gadelha’s callout after her UFC 190 win.

 

Follow me on Twitter @matthewjryder!

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UFC 190 Results: What We Learned from Neil Magny vs. Demian Maia

One of the best fights on the UFC 190 card was Demian Maia vs. Neil Magny. While the event is largely comprised of fights between middling and/or aging veterans, Maia is still a relevant top-10 welterweight, and Magny was on a strong seven-fight win st…

One of the best fights on the UFC 190 card was Demian Maia vs. Neil Magny. While the event is largely comprised of fights between middling and/or aging veterans, Maia is still a relevant top-10 welterweight, and Magny was on a strong seven-fight win streak.

Unfortunately, the fight didn’t pan out to be all that impressive. 

Maia took Magny down with a scary ease and advanced to mount. Anyone who has seen Maia fight before knows that isn’t good. While Magny would survive the first round, the second was similar with the exception of a fight-ending rear-naked choke. 

So what did we learn from this fight?

 

Magny is Totally Not Legit

A seven-fight win streak in the UFC’s thick welterweight division is nothing to shrug off. A fighter has to be pretty good to pull that off. However, as soon as Maia scored an effortless takedown, that was the end of Magny‘s days as a potential player at 170 pounds.

Yes, Maia is one of the rare Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialists who actually has a legitimate wrestling game, but he’s not exactly Johny Hendricks. When he got ahold of Magny‘s leg and just rolled right through him and got to work, it was a sign that Magny either lacked the wrestling skills to hang with real top-10 talents or came in woefully underprepared for one of the most predictable fighters in high-level MMA.

Either way, the top-10 ship has officially sailed, and Magny was not on it.

 

Maia Still Has ‘It’

It’s always easy to jump off a bandwagon. More often than not, it’s the right thing to do. MMA as a sport, and the pool of athletic talent, improve with time. Fighters? They rarely get better with age. 

When Maia lost consecutive fights to Jake Shields and Rory MacDonald, plenty of fans and pundits hit the eject button. Anyone who hit it was a tad too quick to jump ship.

Maia still has “it.” He might not be able to beat anybody ranked too high above him. He might not come close to getting another title shot. But he’s still one of the toughest outs at 170 pounds.

 

Magny Still Can’t Use His Physical Tools

Magny towers over the competition. He also has a huge reach advantage over everyone in his division. 

Sometimes, a huge height and reach advantage helps a fighter turn into Jon Jones. Sometimes a huge height and reach advantage results in a Stefan Struve. Guess which category Magny falls into?

It’s a bit disappointing, of course. With a bit more swagger and a few more techniques, Magny could be almost unstoppable. The window for him to start making those strides, however, is rapidly closing.

 

Neither Man Should Be Fighting Top-10 Competition Right Now

As stated, Magny‘s days as a top-10 welterweight are done. It’s sad that the door has to slam so hard, but the welterweight division is just too competitive right now for this kind of loss to go unnoticed.

While Maia could reasonably be slotted against fighters such as Tyron Woodley or Matt Brown, that isn’t what is best for him—or the division—right now. Right now? Maia should be fighting one of the many, many solid fighters looking to get a signature win.

Gunnar Nelson, as MMAFighting.com tweeted, makes a lot of sense. So, too, does fellow veteran Rick Story. How about Jorge Masvidal? Benson Henderson? A rematch with Dong-Hyun Kim?

There are a lot of options.

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