Staff Columnists
NORMAN: Why the top potential Women's MMA bouts in 2014 aren't all that interesting
Apr 10, 2014 - 11:55:29 AM NORMAN: Why the top potential Women's MMA bouts in 2014 aren't all that interesting

DISCUSS ALL THIS IN OUR NEW MMATORCH FORUM

...OH, ONE MORE THING - PLEASE BOOKMARK US & VISIT DAILY!

By: Cash Norman, MMATorch Contributor

We were asked this week for the roundtable discussion which is the single most interesting women's MMA fight to be made in 2014. Well, my answer is none of the proposed fights. Not a single matchup is intriguing because we already know how each will end. Let's look at the options here:


Ronda Rousey vs Cris Cyborg

This fight is never going to happen. Dana White does not want to take a chance of Cristiane "Cyborg" Justino being "the face of women's MMA" in the UFC. Neither does Ronda have any desire to fight Cyborg. In Strikeforce, Rousey began her career in the featherweight division and was blowing through competition, then suddenly dropped down to bantamweight to challenge Miesha Tate. On Ronda's part, I can understand it's about self preservation and Hollywood aspirations; not necessarily facing the toughest competition.


Rousey vs Holly Holm

Holm is to striking what Ronda is to grappling. It's the classic striker vs grappler match but more often than not the striker gets taken down. While most strikers may be able to get the fight back to the feet, Rousey typically does not allow this to happen.


Rousey vs Gina Carano

Talking about this matchup is so preposterous I'm not going to dedicate any more words to it.


Rousey vs Cat Zingano

Cat Zingano would be returning from one of the most horrific years that anyone could ever endure. Recovering from a torn ACL and then losing one of the closest people to you in the manner in which she did, it's just impossible to imagine what she's gone through. If she had either one of those scenarios occur on their own, her chances were marginal at best, but to have to endure them both makes her chances slim to none.

If Zingano had never gotten hurt and her husband were still alive the fight is still in Ronda's favor. If you've followed any of Zingano's fights, she's typically a slow starter, whereas Rousey is on her opponent straight from the gate. Although Zingano's husband owned a jiu jitsu school and Cat may be proficient on the ground, we know that Rousey can hit an armbar on her opponents from any position. Let me refer you back to the fight Zingano had with Miesha Tate, in which Zingano was out struck and out grappled by an opponent that is a mediocre striker and grappler at best. Now you expect me to suspend belief and believe a fight between Rousey and Zingano would be competitive?


Rousey vs Alexis Davis

While I do believe that Alexis Davis is just as strong as Rousey and may have the grappling acuity to remain somewhat competitive once the fight hits the ground, I struggle with how Davis will win the fight. Davis has looked less than sensational since entry into the UFC; one of the problems Davis struggles with is her fight IQ. Although her Strikeforce fight with Sara Kaufmann was entertaining, she had a distinct advantage over Kaufman on the ground. Instead of immediately taking Kaufmann to the ground, she engaged in a brawl which cost her the fight.


Holm vs Cyborg

If anyone thinks that if these two engaged in a MMA match and Holm stunned Cyborg for even a second, Cyborg would not immediately take Holm to the ground and submit her, they're foolish. I think this would be a very entertaining fight if it were strictly a kickboxing match. However, when the grappling element is factored into the equation, it is less than entertaining.