Monday, Aug 27, 2012
Full Contact Fighter’s “The Daily Takedown:” Rousey Cozies up to Dana White; Bautista, Kaufman Enter Cage Oct. 6
Ronda Rousey (left) has made her opinion on the Jon Jones-UFC situation clear. Photo Credit: Esther Lin/Showtime
By Joshua Molina
Not too surprisingly, Ronda Rousey agrees with UFC president Dana White.
She also believes Jon Jones should have fought Chael Sonnen on eight days notice.
Rousey, who smashed Sarah Kaufman two weeks ago in 54 seconds, told ESPN this:
“I don’t know what Jon Jones’ reasoning is, but I’d have made a different decision,” Rousey told espn.com.
She continued with her populist message (reminding people she has bills to pay).
“I don’t have any kids to provide for, if I come home with a bruised up face and a loss all I have to worry about is my own pride and my cable bill,” she added. “When I was first starting out, when I really needed the money, the main event fell through and the whole event was cancelled and I know how that feels. I wouldn’t want to do that to anybody else.”
Rousey, of course, couldn’t stop there.
Finally, “If Dana said he wanted me to fight Cris ‘Cyborg’ Santos with a 40lbs weight disadvantage or wrap our hands with Duck Tape and be there in 40 minutes, I’d say I’d be there in 10 minutes just so I could stretch first. It doesn’t matter to me, I consider myself the best in the world. I think if you have that title, you have a responsibility to defend it at anytime against anyone.”
This is the same fighter who just two weeks ago said that Cyborg had to come to her and that she would only fight her at 135 pounds – 10 pounds lower than Cyborg’s weight.
And what is Rousey talking about anyway by saying “if Dana wanted me?” Isn’t her boss Scott Coker, Strikeforce CEO? And last I heard Dana White doesn’t promote women’s MMA. In fact, he’s said frequently that there aren’t enough good female fighters to promote women’s MMA.
But since Rousey’s emergence as a mainstream star, White and Rousey have been sticking closer to each other than Jake Shields does with most of his opponents.
Sarah Kaufman is looking to erase the memory of her embarrassing loss to Rousey on Aug. 18. Kaufman has signed to fight Kaitlin Young at an Invicta event on Oct. 6. Kaufman clearly wasn’t believing the hype in when she stepped into the cage against Rousey – and she paid for it. A rematch between the two is not out of the question – if Kaufman can put together a couple of impressive victories.
Turns out Oct. 6 will be a big night, of sorts, in MMA. That’s also when former WWE champion Big Dave Bautista makes his debut inside the cage against a fighter named Rashid Evans. It’s too bad that Bautista, 43, wasn’t able to market his cage debut in a greater way. Afterall, he’s a legend in the world of wrestling and a big draw. Yet, his MMA debut will reportedly take place on the Classic Entertainment and Sports Promotions Network, through DirectTV, available in about 17 percent of homes across the country.
With a lack of mobility and endurance, and history of major injuries, including multiple tricep tears, it’s not like Bautista will have a long career in MMA. He should make the most of every appearance. It’s a huge tactical error on his part that he wasn’t able to position his MMA debut in a more high-profile way.
WWE fans would watch, just for the spectacle.
Contact reporter Joshua Molina at jmolina@fcfighter.com. Or follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JoshuaMolinaMMA
posted by JoshuaM @ 3:00 pm
