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How would Ronda Rousey fare in today's version of the UFC women's bantamweight division?
That question is on a lot of people's minds after watching her run through Gina Carano in 17 seconds and winning with her signature armbar submission, just like old times, last Saturday in the MVP MMA 1 headliner at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. Chief among them wondering her hypothetical place in the UFC is the promotion's lead play-by-play man, Jon Anik, who believes Rousey, even at 39, could be elite – or at least flirt with being elite.
"Can't Ronda Rousey get takedowns against a high-level, modern-day fighter and get to a place where she can grab an arm or a neck?" Anik said on his "Anik & Florian Podcast" this week. "I mean, am I crazy? Because a lot of people think they'd be favored to beat Ronda Rousey right now."
For his part, co-host Kenny Florian isn't completely on board but also sees the possibility.
"I think she still would be competitive," Florian said. "Would she be a champion in that weight class? I think that would be really difficult. The game has evolved a tremendous amount. But at the same time you're talking about a world-class athlete, but also you're going against time. … I don't think we're gonna see her again."
To that point, Anik isn't ready to concede and hopes maybe – just maybe – Rousey could be back in the UFC one day.
"Who knows? Maybe at (145 pounds) she comes back in a superfight against somebody like Holly Holm, who certainly is ageless," Anik said. "There's some value there. Not to suggest there wasn't some value in this (Carano fight), but I just would be curious to see how she would do against the UFC top 10. Not to suggest that she'd be ready for Kayla Harrison or Amanda Nunes, but I am wildly curious to see how she would do against some of those other fighters."
The idea of Rousey fighting again feels like a long shot. Even leading up to her fight with Carano, she was open about her desire to have more kids. Coming out of the fight, she said it provided her the "closure" she needed to walk away from MMA competition.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Lead UFC voice 'wildly curious' how Ronda Rousey would do vs. top 10
Continue reading...
That question is on a lot of people's minds after watching her run through Gina Carano in 17 seconds and winning with her signature armbar submission, just like old times, last Saturday in the MVP MMA 1 headliner at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. Chief among them wondering her hypothetical place in the UFC is the promotion's lead play-by-play man, Jon Anik, who believes Rousey, even at 39, could be elite – or at least flirt with being elite.
"Can't Ronda Rousey get takedowns against a high-level, modern-day fighter and get to a place where she can grab an arm or a neck?" Anik said on his "Anik & Florian Podcast" this week. "I mean, am I crazy? Because a lot of people think they'd be favored to beat Ronda Rousey right now."
For his part, co-host Kenny Florian isn't completely on board but also sees the possibility.
"I think she still would be competitive," Florian said. "Would she be a champion in that weight class? I think that would be really difficult. The game has evolved a tremendous amount. But at the same time you're talking about a world-class athlete, but also you're going against time. … I don't think we're gonna see her again."
To that point, Anik isn't ready to concede and hopes maybe – just maybe – Rousey could be back in the UFC one day.
"Who knows? Maybe at (145 pounds) she comes back in a superfight against somebody like Holly Holm, who certainly is ageless," Anik said. "There's some value there. Not to suggest there wasn't some value in this (Carano fight), but I just would be curious to see how she would do against the UFC top 10. Not to suggest that she'd be ready for Kayla Harrison or Amanda Nunes, but I am wildly curious to see how she would do against some of those other fighters."
The idea of Rousey fighting again feels like a long shot. Even leading up to her fight with Carano, she was open about her desire to have more kids. Coming out of the fight, she said it provided her the "closure" she needed to walk away from MMA competition.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Lead UFC voice 'wildly curious' how Ronda Rousey would do vs. top 10
Continue reading...
