5 Reasons to Watch: UFC 184: Rousey vs. Zingano
The women's division will get the marquee spotlight this weekend at UFC 184 from Los Angeles as Ronda Rousey headlines the show against Cat Zingano in a battle for the bantamweight title.
In addition to Rousey vs. Zingano, newcomer Holly Holm will try to live up to the hype that's precipitated her UFC debut as she faces Raquel Pennington, who is fresh off a submission win in her last bout against Ashlee Evans-Smith.
Also on the card, former "Ultimate Fighter" Season 1 competitor Josh Koscheck returns to action for the first time in a year as he takes on Jake Ellenberger in a do-or-die fight for both welterweight contenders.
Though there are plenty of great matchups on the card, these are the five best reasons to make sure you tune into UFC 184: Rousey vs. Zingano on Saturday night.
The Baddest Woman on the Planet
Ronda Rousey (right) has been making quick work of opponents.
Whether you agree or disagree with the notion that UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is one of the most dominant women in all of sports, there's no denying she is on top of the world when it comes to fighting.
Rousey is a machine when she steps inside the Octagon. Through 10 fights in her professional career, Rousey is 10-0 with 10 finishes and only one match out of the 10 that actually made it past the first round. Her first eight fights ended via submission, but lately Rousey has become a fan of the knockout.
She crushed Sara McMann's ribs with an early shot to the body to end their fight in a hurry and then did even worse to Alexis Davis, knocking her out cold in just 16 seconds last July.
Rousey is a force of nature, and there are few moments in MMA better than when she walks to the Octagon with Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation" blaring in the arena and then just seconds later she's trying to destroy her opponent. Rousey is as good as advertised, and seeing her compete is always must-see TV.
Eye of the Tiger
Cat Zingano is Ronda Rousey's toughest opponent yet.
While no one has been Rousey's equal thus far in her career, there's no doubt undefeated challenger and No. 1 contender Cat Zingano is definitely the toughest test she's faced.
Zingano is 9-0, showing the kind of heart and durability usually only seen in movies. She endured a serious knee injury and a personal tragedy in her life and came back with a whole new kind of ferocity in her last fight. Zingano is known for her ability to endure punishment and then, like some sort of video game character, she turns the tables on her opponents and unleashes hell on them.
Zingano has knockout power like few women fighting in the UFC and holds a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. She's been honing her craft in grappling tournaments while waiting for the opportunity to face Rousey.
It's hard to believe after everything we've witnessed that Rousey truly has an equal at 135 pounds, but if there's one alive today her name is Cat Zingano.
The Next Big Thing
Hype can be a help or a hindrance to a fighter's career, but all signs point toward former boxing champion Holly Holm being the real deal as she makes her Octagon debut this weekend against Raquel Pennington in the co-main event of UFC 184.
Holm is a multi-time boxing champion with more than 30 fights on her record. Since transitioning to MMA full time, she has gone 7-0 with six of those fights ending by knockout or TKO. Holm's striking was likely the best in the women's bantamweight division from her first day in the promotion. She has technical hands and fast, dangerous feet.
Holm also has a great team around her. She trains full time out of the Jackson/Winkeljohn camp in New Mexico, where she routinely works with UFC stalwarts such as Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone, Carlos Condit and John Dodson. She even spends time sparring with the pound-for-pound best fighter in the sport, Jon Jones.
Holm could be a future champion in the UFC, but every journey starts with a first step and hers takes place in the co-main event on Saturday night.
One More for the Bad Guy
"The Ultimate Fighter" Season 1 might be among the most important milestones in MMA history, and though many of the members from the original cast went on to have great success in the UFC, most have walked off into the sunset given that the show debuted more than 10 years ago.
But there are still two members of the cast kicking in the UFC, and one of them fights this weekend.
Josh Koscheck has remained a relevant and ranked welterweight for most of his UFC career and he currently stands third on the all-time list for wins in the division with 14. Though Koscheck has fallen on hard times lately, suffering three losses in a row, he remains one of the most polarizing figures in the sport.
As Koscheck approaches his 38th birthday later this year, the former "Ultimate Fighter" veteran has fewer fights in front of him than behind him, so enjoy his performances while he's still around. Koscheck knows how to put on a show both before and after a fight, and he'll be a welcome addition back to the roster when he faces Jake Ellenberger at UFC 184.
The Finisher
Former "Ultimate Fighter" winner Tony Ferguson has become quite the finisher in his recent bouts after taking several months off due to injury following his only loss in the UFC. Ferguson has turned into a completely different animal lately, finishing three out of his last four opponents. Now, he's looking to add another this weekend at UFC 184.
Ferguson's ability to finish the fight is only one aspect of his game lately, however, because he's also varied his attacks between a brutally potent offense on his feet and an equally deadly submission arsenal. He put Mike Rio away with a D'Arce choke, submitted Abel Trujillo with a rear naked choke and knocked out Japanese fighter Katsunori Kikuno in the first round.
Ferguson has a tall mountain to climb this weekend as he faces Gleison Tibua, who steps into the Octagon for the 25th time in his career. Tibau is also riding a three-fight win streak, including a victory over another "Ultimate Fighter" champion in Norman Parke, which will make this match kicking off the pay-per-view all that much more interesting.
