If you want to see Ronda Rousey fight just one more time, then this is the right match-up… just not in the way her coach thinks it is.
There’s no reason to believe that Ronda Rousey intends on returning to the Octagon and there’s even less support for the argument that this would be a good idea.
While the former UFC women’s bantamweight queen has the requisite skill-set to beat a lot of the fighters in the division, her unrivalled star power means that she is unlikely to get matched up against anyone she is likely to beat.
As the biggest female superstar in the sport’s history, she will need to headline numbered events, a slot which is usually, although not exclusively, reserved for title fights. As we saw at UFC 207, she’s no match for current champion Amanda Nunes, who dismantled her in 48 seconds.
That was Rousey’s second knockout loss in a row, coming just 13 months after Holly Holm’s seismic head kick heard around the world shattered the myth of her invincibility.
Prior to being rendered unconscious by ‘the Preacher’s Daughter,’ Rousey was an undefeated icon who had successfully broken into the mainstream. Her oversaturation in the media ended with the finish as she disappeared to prepare for heal a broken jaw and prepare for her inevitable return.
Once the Nunes fight was booked, the silence was deafening as Rousey didn’t engage in any of the pre or post-fight media obligations and refused to talk about the Holm loss. Once Nunes bested her, we saw history repeat itself. When she did appear in the media, there was a notable absence of any talk about her UFC career.
With a couple of cringeworthy acting performances in huge blockbusters such as Fast and Furious 7 and Expendables 3, the hype surrounding her Hollywood career fell to pieces like a wet cake. The latest rumour doing the rounds is that she could sign for the WWE, which would play into her athletic ability and limited acting range perfectly.
However, her head coach Edmond Tarverdyan thinks one more fight inside the Octagon is a possibility. As he explained on the MMA Hour, he has his sights set on settling the beef with arguably the greatest female fighter on planet Earth, Cristiane Justino.
“That’s the one. I want that fight. When I trained Ronda, I know Ronda could beat Cyborg. I know that. Cyborg is too slow.”
Cyborg (18-1-1NC), who cuts to make a weight class that’s 10 lbs heavier than Rousey’s preferred one, hasn’t lost since dropping her professional debut. 16 of her 18 wins have come by way of knockout and while she doesn’t have any submission wins on her record, she has that black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to fall back on.
Elite-level striking is clearly Rousey’s kryptonite, so facing the most terrifying knockout monster in WMMA would be a truly awful idea. Not according to Tarvedyan though, who believes his fighter has the beating of Cyborg.
“If injuries weren’t there and everything was where it was, we would take that fight and I’m telling you she’s too slow for us. And Ronda will beat her. Ronda needs a challenge that she really needs to be like this person is no good and I need to prove something to the whole world. That’s how Ronda works good.”
That’s what delusion looks like, folks.
