Boy, oh, boy! UFC 170 is this weekend and, once again, I am excited. The card is headlined by the most popular female fighter in the world, "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey. If you haven't seen Rousey fight, what are you waiting for? She has won all 8 of her fights by armbar. And, having earned an Olympic bronze medal in judo, Rousey throws her opponents around like they're stuffed animals. It's dominant, alpha woman stuff.
Her opponent on Saturday, Sara McMann, is also an Olympian, but in wrestling. And she did one better than Rousey. She earned a silver medal. Never before has Rousey faced that caliber of wrestler in the mma arena. For the first time, she may face someone who is better than she is at controlling opponents on the ground.
And that's what makes this matchup so interesting. What happens when a truly world class judoka runs into a truly world class wrestler? Well, we get to find out. McMann may actually stuff all of Rousey's throw attempts. She might wind up on top of Rousey and have some opportunity to drop some crushing elbows. Rousey might be surprised by McMann's strength. Winning an Olympic silver medal in wrestling requires unbelievable fortitude. Wrestlers put themselves through misery during training and during their competitions, where they're often having to cut weight multiple times in a single weekend. McMann has been there, done that, got the t-shirt, and power doubled the fool who was wearing it. Her strength will be on a different level than any female Rousey has faced. How will Rousey react to that?
With that being said, nothing in this world will prepare McMann for the Tazmanian Devil she's going to face on Saturday. Nothing. Rousey can at least train with men to simulate McMann's strength advantage. There's no one in the world who has Rousey's judo, coupled with her crazy armbar, tripled by her win at all costs attitude. If McMann takes Rousey down, she'll be in constant trouble, since Rousey can hit that armbar from any position. If McMann clinches with Rousey, she may be going for a ride, since she will likely have never faced someone with the judo chops Rousey has.
But what happens if they decide to stand and bang? Could that happen? Rousey has always taken the fight to the ground. She has thrown strikes only long enough to close distance. McMann also looks to take the fight to the ground. But maybe for the first time in her career, Rousey will have a striking advantage over her opponent. Rumors abound that Rousey is getting better and better with her hands, that she is dropping world class female boxers in the gym with body blows. Videos of her working mitts and shadow boxing show a gal who knows how to throw punches in combination. What if she decides to show off what she's learned against a gal who has even more to learn about punching? And what if that gal also wants to stand and trade because she fears that going to the ground with Rousey will end with her getting her arm hyperextended?
I'll tell you what might happen: this could turn into a boxing match! If so, it probably won't be a good one. These gals are ground fighters by trade. When ground fighters box, it usually turns into a sloppy mess. Not always, but usually. Could be fun to watch, all the same.
But I believe these two are destined to hit the ground. When they do, McMann may stifle Rousey's offense for a round or two, may even win a round or two. But Rousey is the most tenacious athlete I've seen in mma. She will be offended by McMann's winning, and that will tick her off. A ticked off Rousey is a frightening thing.
Like she said recently, "I can tell that this title is not as important to [McMann] as it is to me. She has a kid at home, and she has to go home to that kid. I can afford to be selfish, where she can't. I'm willing to die in there, and she can't."
And after having watched her fight and coach The Ultimate Fighter, I believe her. She doesn't look at an mma match as a sporting event. She looks at it as a fight. A war. Losing, to her, is the same thing as death.
"On paper, [McMann's] an amazing athlete, and athletically you could say we're very close to equals, and that's why people are so excited about this fight," Rousey said. "But I think I'm more of a fighter than she is."
So do I.
Expect those armbar attempts to come nonstop. Eventually, she will catch her fellow Olympian with one.
Prediction: Rousey by submission Round 3.
Until next time.
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