Has the undefeated Ronda Rousey already run out of viable opponents in the UFC? <\/p>\n
Jeff Gross\/Getty Images <\/p>\n
\"If Ronda Rousey successfully defends against Sara McMann and Cat Zingano, she might be good for one more fight in 2014. It almost assuredly won't be against Cris 'Cyborg' Justino.\" <\/p>\n
That was some blustery know-it-all pontificating recently on the possibility that this year might produce the biggest fight in the history of women's mixed martial arts. OK, yeah, the windbag was yours truly, answering a question in the last SI.com MMA mailbag. That was a little over a month ago, and many e-mails, tweets, birthday cards and ransom notes have come this way since then. But before we get to any of those, allow me to revisit, rethink, and revise. <\/p>\n
Over the past two weeks, some new developments in the Rowdy Ronda vs. Cyborg saga have conspired to turn me into a flip-flopper on the magnitude of [fill in the name of your least-favorite politician]. First, Dana White whipping boy Tito Ortiz stepped aside as Justino's manager, eliminating one of the UFC president's excuses for not wanting to get in the \"Cyborg\" business. Then, last Friday night -- 24 hours before Rousey was to step into the octagon to face McMann -- Justino appeared on the AXS TV show Inside MMA and removed some more obstacles. No longer would she insist on a catchweight meeting, a middle ground between her 145-pound fighting weight and Rousey's 135. Now the Brazilian was willing to cut down to 135 pounds, she told the UFC champ, in order \"to retire you like I did Gina Carano.\" <\/p>\n
Justino covered a lot of bases in her brassy statement, even acknowledging her own anabolic steroid-tainted resume by saying she'd agree to be tested every week in the leadup to the fight. She also addressed the much-mocked Ortiz claim that Justino would die if she had to cut to 135, saying that it actually was her doctor's recommendation that she not spend the rest of her career at that weight. \"I will still listen to my doctor's advice,\" she said, \"and fight no more than three times at 135: First to win the Invicta belt, the second time to kick your ass, and the third time to kick your ass again so that the world can see it wasn't luck.\" <\/p>\n
Now that's an in-your-face call-out that even \"Rowdy\" Ronda would be proud of. <\/p>\n
And it's one that the UFC must take seriously. Rousey has yet to face a severe test and is running out of options. Nine fights, nine victories, all finishes, eight of them in the first round. McMann, who like Rousey has Olympic medalist credibility, was supposed to be the toughest challenge yet, and in a way she was, using her wrestling acumen to keep the fight standing and out of armbar range. But she sure was within range of Rousey's left knee, which crumbled McMann with a liver shot barely a minute in. Next? <\/p>\n
WAGENHEIM: Rousey shows range in win at UFC 170 <\/p>\n
The UFC has the drive and creativity to pump air into even the saggiest fight -- hell, just last weekend the promotion made a guy from Starbucks sound like a star -- but it's becoming increasingly difficult to make a credible case for anyone it sticks in the cage with Rousey. Zingano has earned a title shot, and if she's recovered from her knee injury in time, she should get it this summer. What do you expect to happen in that fight? Yeah, me, too. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
See the article here:<\/p>\n
Jeff Wagenheim: Mailbag: Why Ronda Rousey-Cris Justino fight makes sense for UFC<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Has the undefeated Ronda Rousey already run out of viable opponents in the UFC? Jeff Gross\/Getty Images \"If Ronda Rousey successfully defends against Sara McMann and Cat Zingano, she might be good for one more fight in 2014. It almost assuredly won't be against Cris 'Cyborg' Justino.\" That was some blustery know-it-all pontificating recently on the possibility that this year might produce the biggest fight in the history of women's mixed martial arts. Continue reading