The idea of a Ronda Rousey vs. Cris Cyborg marquee fight in the UFC is currently dead in the water.
Rousey has been signed away from Strikeforce and instituted as the first UFC womens bantamweight champion. She will fight in the Octagon, taking on all comers, but only at 135 pounds.
Cyborg, meanwhile, has struggled in the past to even make the 145-pound mark for the featherweight division she has ruled for several years. Her camp has even cited a doctors recommendation that she not try to get down to 135.
Rousey has already defeated several top contenders in the division Sarah Kaufman, Miesha Tate, Julia Budd, and Sara DAleilo so who is on tap to be her first opponent in the Octagon?
Liz Carmouche and Marloes Coenen quickly come to mind, but so does Sara McMann, whose career has paralleled that of Rousey.
Rousey and McMann are both 6-0 in their professional careers and each has an Olympic medal on her resume Rousey in Judo, McMann in freestyle wrestling.
Rousey has rocketed to stardom much quicker, however, so does a fight with the less known McMann, at least in Rouseys first action in the Octagon, make sense?
From what I understand, there needs to be a proper build-up to a fight like that, McMann said on Monday nights edition of Inside MMA. People dont really know me that well and they definitely know her, so it just doesnt make sense to have it without a strong following for me, too.
Its a fight that has been on a collision course since both women were competing at a world-class level in their respective sports, then made the decision to ply their wares in MMA.
Pretty much since the first time I said I was gonna be in MMA, people were like I heard Ronda Rousey is gonna be in it, you guys should fight, explained McMann. Its been probably like two years of hearing about Ronda.
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Could Sara McMann be Tapped as Ronda Rousey's First UFC Title Defense?
