UFC 184 Makes History But Will it Be Memorable?


UFC 184Two undefeated fighters… Any promoter’s dream. In one corner the champion, Ronda Rousey an Olympic medalist in Judo and undefeated in her pro mixed martial arts career. Opposite her is a relatively unknown, soft-spoken bad ass name Cat Zingano, also undefeated. The two women will headline the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) main event at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. UFC 184 (Sat., Feb. 28, 2015) will make history as the first card with the main and co-main featuring women. UFC 184 is best described as OPPORTUNITY.

It wasn’t that UFC president Dana White intended it to play out this way. Chris Weidman was the headliner with his championship belt on the line but after an injury was forced to reschedule. The UFC had no choice but to attempt to play the patron saint by marketing the women as the card’s two main fights. It was an opportunity for the UFC to be more than the Rousey Hype Machine. While Rousey versus Zingano is worthy of a main card slot, the co-main event isn’t. That’s not because they’re women it’s because they’re not a draw casual fans and diehards alike. The co-main event will be Holly Holm versus Raquel Pennington. Never heard of them? You’re not alone and this is no knock on either woman.

They aren’t known to many who follow the UFC much less a casual fan. Holm is undefeated and making her UFC debut which is a great story but she needs more than great striking to be talked about as Rousey’s biggest threat. Holm has an impressive resume in boxing but it remains to be seen how well that translates to the UFC. It would make for a good prelim fight on FOX to get casual fans interested in what the new-comer has to offer. Her oppoonenet, Raquel Pennington has a record of 5-4 and while she isn’t a sacrificial lamb like Charmine Tweet was to Chris Cyborg it’s not exactly a co-main event match-up.

The UFC is banking on Rousey being the Pay-Per-View draw that former champions Georges St. Pierre and Brock Lesnar have been for them in the past. Rousey is a rockstar, there’s no questioning that but will she draw the same numbers as Lesnar and GSP? Not even close. That’s not to say she’s to blame because she’s not. The rest of the card will have some good fights but enough to shell out sixty bucks? Probably not for most people, especially when Rousey has made it a habit of making quick work of her opponents and sustaining little damage. Two unknown fighters as the co-main doesn’t do anything to sell the card when the fight would likely be on Fox Sports One or Fight Pass if held any other weekend. other cards.

Ronda sells herself, something many athletes have trouble doing. She doesn’t just talk a good game but she also backs it up. Ronda has improved her game inside the octagon and continues to shine outside the cage. She recently appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue and had a role in Expendables 3. You’ll see her in ENTOURAGE the movie this summer in her second big Hollywood role. The more impressive thing about Rousey is her ability to take on the media and have sound bites for them to run with. She’s not afraid to take on controversial topics and have an opinion.

Discussing Octagon Girls (The UFC’s version of Boxing’s Ring Girl) isn’t exactly controversial but her remarks did spark a bit of a hubbub in the MMA community. When asked about her remarks towards Arianny Celeste (popular octagon girl) Rousey responded with, “I said that the fighters should get paid more than the ring girls. That doesn’t make me a bully, that makes me f-cking right.” Celeste has question Ronda as a role model and taken jabs at her in interviews and online.

What about Cat Zingano? Cat has been faced with adversity in more ways than imaginable and done so with incredible poise. In 2013, Cat defeated Miesha Tate and earned a spot to coach opposite Rousey in The Ultimate Fighter, the UFC’s reality-tv competition. Appearing on the show would also set up a title shot against Rousey once the season ended. Neither happened for Zingano. Cat was sidelined after with a knee injury that required surgery before the show began taping. The injury not only forced her off the show but put her hopes for a UFC title fight on hold. That was just the tip of the iceberg of adversity for Cat. She was faced with the suicide of her husband and left to care for her son alone. Take a few minutes and read more about her journey back in an incredibly well-written story on ESPN by Allison Glock.

This is obviously a huge opportunity for Cat rock the MMA world and derail the Rousey Train. Will it happen? The Vegas odds-makers don’t think so and most of the the Mixed Martial Arts community agrees that it’s a long shot. You can’t count her out but you also can’t ignore the dominance of Rousey. The only way UFC 184 will be memorable is if Cat defies the odds and defeats Ronda Rousey. If Ronda submits Cat with an armbar the UFC women’s bantamweight division is in big trouble. Why? Because no one currently in the UFC stands a chance at defeating Ronda.

My prediction? Ronda wins and we see her face Chris Cyborg in July. Now THAT would be a memorable fight and likely the only opportunity for someone to test Ronda’s abilities.

Photo via UFC.com






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