Ronda Rousey Is Back, Bitches
[Editor’s Note: This is from our Stoolie, Bennett, who is a UFC afficionado and reported on Philly’s Alverez. He would like it to be known he’s not an affliction/tapout/cargo shorts with strings UFC hardo. “Just so we’re clear. I got to work for them through an internship and started to watch the sport differently. I don’t know as much as the die hards who’ve watched since it was blood sport-esque tournament style. But I stay up on current shit and do my research.” Cool story, brah. But for real, he can rap about MMA and as long as he keeps sending in decent blogs, I’ll keep posting them. Take it to the bank.]
So Dana White dropped (not so) major news at a surprise press conference. His golden calf—his blue ribbon pig—his first money printer, Ronda Rousey is coming out of whatever state of rest she was in to headline UFC 207 on Friday December 30 against Amanda Nunes. Some say it’s about time, but Rousey isn’t just a fighter now, she’s gone total Hollywood and almost actually lost her head when she fought last November. Give it a rest.
The UFC typically tries to cash out one more time before the years end, and with whispers of a bantam weight bout between Dom Cruz and Cody Garbrandt/TJ Dillashaw (I think Cody because of the early shit talking) this is no different. Ronda will always be the headliner, so coming off a year+ layoff, you can expect big PPV buys.
She’s back in camp with Ed Tarverdyan, her long time boxing coach, not surprising. People either love this guy or hate him. Maybe he sucks due to his over emphasis on boxing and lack of attention to every other aspect of the game, or they love him because Rousey has improved her striking exponentially and boxed up some of her later opponents. Regardless, Rousey is a force and I think this is the best matchup for her to come back to. Sure, Nunes absolutely dismantled Miesha Tate, but Rousey is probably the best (save Cyborg if she could get to 135) women’s fighter at 135. Nunes is a forward puncher, and has great hands. Her ground game is top tier AND her mouth piece looks like a pair of fangs—siiiiiick bro.
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I think that plays into Rousey’s Olympic caliber judo, and once on the ground, she’ll force some of her own jiu-jitsu on her. Not sleek and stylish, just straight rugged-rip-your-arm off type stuff. There’s too much power in Rousey’s game, and coming off a loss she’ll want to end this quickly. What screwed her last time in being over aggressive against a counter puncher like Holm, won’t matter this time around as Nunes seems to have that same tendency. Then again, maybe Nunes takes it slow, picks her spots and tries to go strike for strike while not getting thrown and submitted.
The UFC gave Ronda as much time as she wanted after losing to Holly Holm (+900 bah god that was nice). That head kick from Holm was life changing, so you have to wonder what the time off did to her psyche. Is she going to come back and end this thing in 30 seconds? Or is she officially screwed from getting her head kicked to the tenth row last November.
Pick: Rousey -250