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| Miesha Tate (left) and Ronda Rousey (right) get heated at the weigh in. |
Tonight's co-main event will be for the Women's Bantamweight Championship and will feature the #2 contender Miesha "Cupcake" Tate, and the reigning (and thus far, only) champion Ronda "Rowdy" Rousey.
If you're into submissions and good old fashioned grappling, this is the fight for you. Rousey has won all seven of her fights in the UFC via submission, and Tate a respectable 46% percent of her 13 wins. The two combatants are virtually the same physically and both have been spending a lot of time together coaching opposite one another on "The Ultimate Fighter 18." That's enough time to develop a grudge.
But there is a lot more on the line in this fight than just a belt. This fight has potential to either hurt the development of women fighters in the UFC, or help it grow exponentially.
The good news is, Rousey has already done a fantastic job of generating female interest in the sport. She was the first women to sign with the UFC, a feat that President Dana White had sworn earlier would never happen, and has become a super star the likes of which the sport has yet to see from a female fighter. She is exactly what fans like to see, a talented, confident, fighter who is well known for her trash talking. She has begun profiting off her own popularity, with new found careers in modeling and acting (she will be staring in The Expendables 3 and Fast & Furious 7). But most importantly, she is undefeated in mixed martial arts. She has become another Laila Ali, except Rousey is in the stable and growing sport of MMA, not the dying and corrupt sport of boxing.
There is a lot to like about Ronda Rousey, who is already well known. But fans of the inaugural Bantamweight Champion should not over-look her opponent, Miesha Tate. Tate has a bit more experience in MMA, with a record 13-4 and has the capability to knock out other fighters. She hasn't had the same success as Rousey, but her one fight in the UFC (a TKO loss to Cat Zingano) earned her a "Fight of the Night" bonus. She is more than capable of snatching the belt from the champ.
This fight is probably the most important fight of the night, maybe even one of the most important in UFC history. If these two can provide a fight worthy of the controversial $60 pay-per-view price, then all the doubts and questions about women fighters could disappear. If they don't, then only more questions will be raised. Questions like "should women be on the main card?" or "is Rousey only one freakishly good fighter in a group of mediocrity? Are women's fights even worth watching?"
As wrong as it sounds, those are the questions that WILL be asked if these two warriors can't provide a quality bout. That is the nature of the UFC and it's fans. It is a nature that needs to change, but one that won't without the help of strong, qualified women fighters. Now is the time to silence the critics. For Rousey, she has to prove that her one UFC fight was no fluke, and that her fame isn't earned from her looks and her funny trash talking. For Tate, it is time to show that she is a capable fighter who has the ability to ignite a rivalry which could become one of the most historic in the UFC.
The timing is ripe for this fight. People are excited to see Silva and Weidman which means all eyes will be watching UFC 168. Women have never been more popular in fighting than tonight and if these two can come through, it is more than likely we will see a greater number of fantastic female fighters on the horizon.
Consequences aside, I think we are in for a fantastic bout. Ronda Rousey is ranked as the #10 best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, a ranking that includes men. She is at the apex of her career right now and her confidence gives her a fearless and dangerous edge. Tate will want revenge from the last time she face Rousey in Strike Force, where Tate was armbared by Rousey in the first round. She'll also want redemption from her first UFC fight with Zingano, which Tate believed ended prematurely. My official prediction is Ronda Rousey will win by submission in the second round, possibly by armbar again. And I have confidence that people will be more than satisfied with the fight.
And in case you were wondering, I think Silva redeems himself and wins back the Middleweight Championship by unanimous decision. If you want to know why that is important, read my previous article here.
UPDATE: The fight was pure beauty and there was many things to take away from it. Tate was able to take the fight to the third round which was history already due to the fact that Rousey has never been in a fight she didn't end in the first. The actual battle was nothing short of spectacular with Rousey dominating a majority of the action, but Tate holding her own. Rousey managed to get in a few shots to the face which left her opponent bleeding by the end of the first. When all was said and done, Rousey armbared Tate once again to end the bout early in the third round and retain her title as Champion. But that wasn't the end. Tate offered to shake Rousey's hand, but Rousey ignored it, saying that her history with Tate didn't allow her to offer respect. Boos rang down loudly in the arena and it seems Rousey has sealed her fate as a villain. But in regards to the sport, this is a good thing. After all, if there is one thing people pay attention to in sports, it's a trash talking bad guy (bad girl, in this case). And there is a hero. Miesha Tate won the crowd's favor and put up a performance that showed she deserves to compete at the highest level. I think this is the start of something wonderful. Don't be surprised if we start hearing about Rousey vs Tate II in the next few years.
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