3 reasons Ronda Rousey will regain the bantamweight title at UFC 207
Former bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is set to regain her title at UFC 207.
Former UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey (12-1) will return to the Octagon at UFC 207 following a one-year hiatus. The former 135-pound champion was undefeated when she entered UFC 193, which resulted in a devastating knockout and her relinquishing of the belt to the new and then-undefeated fighter, Holly Holm.
Since her title loss, the bantamweight title has changed hands three times in less than a year. Currently, the belt resides with Amanda Nunes (13-4), and on December 30 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, she will do battle with Rousey, MMA’s biggest star.
Despite Rousey’s dominance over her foes before incurring her only loss at UFC 193, Nunes believes that the former champion possesses no chance of winning at UFC 207.
“I’m 100 percent gonna beat Ronda Rousey. I’m 200 percent,” Nunes told TMZ.
However, given Rousey’s history of beating her opponents in mere seconds, Nunes’ probability of retaining her title may actually be a lot less than “200 percent.”
The following highlights three reasons that Rousey will most likely walk away victorious at UFC 207.
Aug 1, 2015; Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Ronda Rousey (red gloves) looks on prior to her fight against Bethe Correia (not pictured) during UFC 190 at HSBC Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Silva-USA TODAY Sports
3. Grappling
Nunes is a highly aggressive striker who boasts nine knockouts to her credit. Rousey has faced fighters of this kind in the past, such as Alexis Davis and Cat Zingano. The latter opponents immediately attacked Rousey, lasting only 16 and 14 seconds, respectfully.
Rousey’s grappling is elite, in large part because of her Olympic-level judo skills, which serves as the basis of her martial arts pedigree. She relishes in the attack of an aggressive fighter, only to use that momentum to quickly out grapple and dominate her foe on the ground.
In fact, in 2015, Rousey served as the only female to make The Sportster’s Top 10 Grapplers in MMA Today list, which included grappling legends, such as Demian Maia, Frank Mir, and Fabricio Werdum. Patrick Mocella of the publication stated:
“Rousey is the only entry on this list with an Olympic medal and she backs up that reputation in the octagon with a fearsome grappling style. Put simply, if Rousey clinches with you, your night is finished as she will slam you with a cornucopia of Judo throws.”
Seventy-five percent of the native Californian’s wins have resulted from her out grappling, then judo flipping, and submitting or knocking out her opponent, often times, in seconds. Rousey may, in fact, represent the UFC’s best female grappler of all time. In that, Nunes’ aggressive nature plays to the former champion’s strength, and could possibly lead to her own demise at UFC 207.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – NOVEMBER 15: (L-R) Ronda Rousey faces Holly Holm in their UFC women’s bantamweight championship bout during the UFC 193 event at Etihad Stadium on November 15, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
2. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Speaking of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Rousey sports a 12-1 record, and nine of those wins have come by way of submission. The Olympic medal Judoka excels at Brazilian jiu-jitsu as well and trains with the highly touted Gracie Brothers, Rener and Ryron. In an interview with The MMA Hour, Rener Gracie commented on Rousey’s ability to utilize Brazilian jiu-jitsu to finish her opponent in seconds:
“…Ronda thrives in the chaos. She thrives in the confusion because of her extensive years in judo, and it’s amazing what she’s able to do. When other people would otherwise kinda clam up and just do what’s safe, Ronda’s always literally upside-down and twisting and elegantly looking for prime limbs to latch onto and take home and add to the collection.”
When Rousey appeared on The Great MMA Debate Podcast, she exclaimed that her ground skills were so elite, that she could defeat any female Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner in the world.
“I still think that I can beat any BJJ girl in the world, any weight division, gi or no gi, black belt all the way, in any rule set that they want.,” Rousey said.
Combining judo with her Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills has proven to be a deadly combination for the former longtime champion, and will mostly likely represent a major obstacle for Nunes as the bout wears on.
Aug 1, 2015; Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Ronda Rowdy Rousey (red gloves) looks on prior to her fight against Bethe Pitbull Correia (not pictured) during UFC 190 at HSBC Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Silva-USA TODAY Sports
1. A determined Rousey is a dangerous Rousey
Rousey was the UFC’s first female bantamweight champion. She reigned atop the 135-pound division for approximately three years and dominated in dramatic fashion, leading UFC President Dana White to label her the “female version of Mike Tyson.”
Earlier this year, Rousey was included on Time Magazine’s Top 100 Influential people list. In that, she stated, “I’m still grieving the person that could have won it all… I need to come back, and I need to win.”
Rousey is infatuated with winning to the extent that she built a Reebok campaign around her comeback fight.
“Perfect never gets truly tested. Perfect never gets to silence its critics. Perfect never gets a shot at redemption. So, yeah. I’m fine not being perfect,” Rousey says in a video promo.
In the end, Rousey firmly understands that the quickest pathway to seeking redemption against the woman who beat her at UFC 193, 18-time world boxing champion Holly Holm, is by defeating Amanda Nunes. In that, “The Rowdy One” will contend for the UFC title for the first time on December 30, and if history is of any indication, she will regain the bantamweight title at UFC 207, and do so in devastating fashion.
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