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D. FOX: Rapid-fire reactions to UFC 190 "Rousey vs. Correia"
Aug 2, 2015 - 2:25:46 AM D. FOX: Rapid-fire reactions to UFC 190 "Rousey vs. Correia"

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By: Dayne Fox, MMATorch Contributor

Amazing. Incredible. Dominant. Unprecedented. Incomparable. Single words that can all be used to describe the career of Ronda Rousey. Rousey added another showing that if called impressive would be selling it short of how magnificent (another word that could be used) it really was. Sure, she had to work a little bit longer than she did in her previous two fights combined, but going 34 seconds would hardly be seen as overtime for anyone else in the sport; Rousey set out to prove a point to her opponent Bethe Correia, and did just that as she completely ignored her own impressive judo credentials and took Correia out with Correia's own game.

The rest of the card had some moments, but for the most part was fairly underwhelming as most expected it to be. Still, we learned who the next contender is for the Women's Strawweight Championship, crowned some new TUF Brazil champions, and got some performances from the UFC's senior circuit that may not have lived up to their old standards, but could still be seen as commendable.

Ronda Rousey defeated Bethe Correia via KO at 0:34 of the first round

Just admit it, we all knew Rousey was going to walk out of the event with gold around her waist and that it wouldn't take long. We just didn't know what method the Rowdy One would use. Rousey had stated she wanted to make Correia suffer. Whether or not she did that in a physical manner is debatable, but by telling Correia that she beat her where she is best, Rousey took whatever confidence Correia may have had and shattered it into pieces. Few were taking Correia serious as a threat to Rousey anyway and the end result proved “they are who we thought they were!”

Rousey's striking isn't elite, but it is vastly improved, and with women's MMA still a fair ways behind the development of the men's division, it very well could be enough to be the best in the division. Considering there is no comparison to her in the clinch or in her submission abilities, it is going to be extremely difficult to dethrone the only champion the UFC women's 135 lb. division has seen. Miesha Tate is up next (again), and while Tate seems like a much greater challenge than Correia presented, few actually believe that she is going to be able to be more successful than she has been against Rousey before. Seriously people, take the time to savor what Rousey is doing at this time because dominant runs like this are exceedingly rare.

Correia will fall out of the spotlight into the largely non-descript sea at women's bantamweight. Fortunately for her it already consists of plenty of previous Rousey victims, so she isn't going to be in a unique position. Problem is, she hasn't beaten a real UFC caliber opponent as her victories in the UFC came over opponents with a combined UFC record of 1-7. That one victory on that ledger? Someone without a UFC victory. We're about to find out who the real Bethe Correia is as we all knew she wasn't a title contender in the first place.


Shogun Rua defeated Rogerio Nogueira via unanimous decision

So this wasn't exactly a worthy sequel to their original bout… but who expected it to be? It ultimately ended up being a closely contested bout that was decided in the final round with both fighters possessing solid arguments for why they should have been declared the winner. Lil Nog was able to rock Shogun in the first round and came close to finishing him off. Shogun was able to shuck off Nogueira's attack and survive to see the next rounds. From there, he relied on an attack heavy on body kicks. Nogueira had another chance towards the end of the third round when he locked in a tight guillotine. Shogun was able to escape with about 25 seconds left and had done enough damage earlier in the round that the judges gave him the decision in the end.

So where do these longtime veterans go from here? That is hard to say. Shogun picking up the win will likely warrant a step up in competition in terms of the rankings, but who actually believes that he can defeat anyone younger than him? Few are crazy about Shogun's future prospects, but he still has enough of a name that he can attract viewers and with his past accomplishments, he probably does deserve an opportunity to prove he has something left in the tank. Lil Nog? Considering he put up a commendable performance, he is largely in the same boat as Shogun as his past accomplishments speak loudly as well. Hopefully neither of these guys are entertaining the idea they are contenders anymore.


Glaico Franca defeated Fernando Bruno via submission at 4:46 of the third round

Not exactly a great way to officially introduce yourself to the UFC, but Franca had the deeper gas tank which allowed him finally sink in a RNC with just seconds left in the fight to take the TUF Brazil crown from an exhausted Bruno. Franca was also the much better athlete and was able to use that to his advantage as he was able to get the back of Bruno multiple times even if he wasn't able to get the finish until late in the fight. However, the grappling is what left Bruno exhausted, as he spent most of the fight expending all of his energy defending. Franca is the better prospect at 24 and may be able to develop into a keeper. TUF hasn't had a great track record as of late, but he is talented enough to change that. Then again, the deep waters of lightweight could prove too much for him and he could wash out. Unfortunately, I expect Bruno to do that as he is fairly small at 155 lbs. and doesn't have an abundance of athleticism. I don't think he'll be around for too long.


Reginaldo Vieira defeated Dileno Lopes via unanimous decision

Fantastic fight (unlike the lightweight affair) that could have gone either way, and in many ways, it is amazing that this fight ended up going to a decision, as both had moments where it looked like they could end the fight. Vieira locked in the first close call when he latched on to a tight guillotine only for Lopes to escape and immediately apply one of his own. Vieira escaped that one (as well as two others) and may have come the closest to ending the fight with hammerfists to the face of Lopes before the end of the fight. That lasting image was probably what was etched into the judges' minds as they ended up giving a VERY close decision to him. As for where the new TUF Brazil winner goes… no clue. He isn't an elite fighter and should end up facing opponents near the bottom of the division in a similar position to the man that he just beat, Lopes. If they can continue to deliver performances like this, they'll be around for a while. Otherwise, the UFC hasn't been as invested in TUF winners as much as they once were and they could be cut loose if they don't deliver… kind of like Franca and Bruno. Luckily for these guys, bantamweight isn't the same shark tank as lightweight.


Stefan Struve defeated Rodrigo Nogueira via unanimous decision

This fight started out as a fun striking affair only for both to gas and end the fight with a whimper. Both had their moments and landed some hard shots, but Struve had the greater volume and that is what proved to be the difference. Despite the win, I can't say that I'm feeling good about his prospects for the future as he allowed a deteriorated Big Nog to walk into his range far too often and he took a lot of damage from the old veteran than a man of his reach should. Then again, that has always been the story with Struve. Hopefully he can continue to improve as his skill set is so unique that it would be a shame to see it go to waste. Then again, he has been fighting for over a decade now so it is hard to see that coming. As for Big Nog… why hasn't he retired yet? That is three losses in a row and though this was his most competitive appearance amongst those three losses, he is a shell of his old self and has taken untold amounts of damage over his career.


Bigfoot Silva defeated Soa Palelei via TKO at 0:41 of the second round

There was no one I wanted to see pick up a victory more than Bigfoot after the struggles that he endured following the TRT ban in the UFC. Now I hope he retires… but then again it isn't my place to say anything like that. Bigfoot didn't exactly look good in the bout, as Palelei pushed him against the fence and got him to the ground in the first round before the usual problems of a short gas tank ended up hitting Palelei and he was pretty much spent once the second round came around. Bigfoot landed a nice uppercut, Palelei covered up and Bigfoot didn't stop landing punches until the ref called the bout. Bigfoot retains employment, but I don't want to see him getting a step up in competition as Palelei seems to be his ceiling. Despite my wishes, expect it to happen as I really am a nobody to the UFC. Palelei is gonna maintain his role as a gatekeeper and let us know who should and shouldn't be in the UFC.


Claudia Gadelha defeated Jessica Aguilar via unanimous decision

To say that Gadelha wanted to make a statement to the champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk would be an understatement. In a match that was expected to be competitive (even if Gadelha was favored), Gadelha dominated pillar to post, bell-to-bell. Gadelha proved to be way too strong for Aguilar as she bounced off of the Brazilian every time she tried to implement her renowned wrestling game and ate an ungodly amount of stiff punches. To give Aguilar credit, she didn't quit and didn't wither… but that is about the only positive thing that I can find to say about her. She is still one of the top strawweights and will get a formidable opponent in her next bout, but the days of her being talked about as THE best strawweight in the world are now over. As for Gadelha, there is no doubt that she will get a rematch against the champion and considering she looked vastly improved from her first fight against Joanna, it should be a dandy.


Demian Maia defeated Neil Magny via submission at 2:52 of the second round

Maybe people will start to give Maia credit for his wrestling now. Sure, it was Maia's vaunted and highly recognized BJJ that gave him the win, but it was his early takedowns that set the stage for him to dominate the entirety of his fight with a long, lanky Magny, not allowing the younger fighter to use his massive reach advantage. Though it may not have been the most visually appealing performance for the viewing audience, much could be learned from Maia's brilliant BJJ display as he exhibited great patience in his attempt to sink in a submission in addition to his position advancement. Watch and learn people! I love Maia in the role of gatekeeper to the elite and see no reason to change that at this point… though I will admit that it could be argued he deserves against someone ranked higher than him. I don't think Magny has reached his ceiling yet, but a step down in competition is warranted. He has proven capable of learning from his mistakes and I expect him to come back a better fighter.


Patrick Cummins defeated Rafael Cavalcante via TKO at 0:45 of the third round

While he may not have looked like a winner by the time the fight was over, Cummins put together the best performance of his career. While it is clear that he still has a long ways to go to develop a standup game that will allow him to challenge the best in the division, his wrestling is top notch and he has clearly made strides in his ground and pound as Cavalcante didn't always make it easy for him to land strikes. Cummins may end up in the top ten with the victory, but don't expect a big jump in competition yet as Cavalcante pieced him up badly despite having limited time on his feet to do so. Cavalcante could very well be gone as he is now 1-3 in the UFC and hasn't exactly faced sterling competition while carrying a hefty price tag for his performance level. The one thing that could save him is the lack of bodies at light heavyweight.


Warlley Alves defeated Nordine Taleb via submission at 4:11 of the second round

This turned out to be the perfect fight for the developing Alves. It wasn't exactly a cakewalk despite his dominance, as Taleb's strength and toughness were apparent, but he was simply delaying the inevitable. Alves used a smart strategy in taking the fight to the ground knowing that Taleb was a striker and was patient in looking for an opening. When it finally arrived, Alves got a hold of Taleb's neck and cinched in his signature guillotine choke. Alves properly paced himself and showed a lot of growth from his last appearance against Alan Jouban. The UFC likely has big plans for him in the future and he deserves a step up in competition, but no reason to rush him. Taleb's stock shouldn't be affected by the loss as he was expected to lose this fight anyway. He's good in this type role and expect him to continue to test the youngsters.


Iuri Alcantara defeated Leandro Issa via unanimous decision

Is it just me, or did this fight show everything that we already knew about these guys? Alcantara struggled with Issa's wrestling early and gave away the first round as a result. Issa started to gas as the damage started to compile and allowed Alcantara to piece him up on the feet halfway through the second round and carried that into the third round which gave Alcantara the win. Alcantara is a skilled striker on the feet, but until he addresses his wrestling, he isn't going to get any better. Almost 35, I don't see that happening. He'll still be a viable gatekeeper for a little while longer. Issa's ceiling is pretty much around here. He isn't going to go any further until his stamina improves but that doesn't seem likely.


Vitor Miranda defeated Clint Hester via TKO at 2:38 of the second round

Well that was unexpected. Miranda used a good sprawl in the first to turn the tide and get the advantageous position and put a beatdown on Hester that easily gave him the round despite Hester's earlier control. He used the same strategy in the second round, using a knee rather than a sprawl to stop Hester and was able to get into a position to rain down punches on Hester. Miranda didn't look as impressive on the feet as most anticipated he would, but he showed plenty of the veteran savvy he'll need to continue to display to stick around. Still, it's a good thing he was able to win by some other way than striking on the feet. I don't think Hester will get cut as his physical tools are still highly apparent despite being unrefined.


Guido Cannetti defeated Hugo Viana via unanimous decision

Not the barnburner I was expecting. The fight seemed to be more about control as heavy strikes were thrown, but rarely seemed to land cleanly and there was a lot of grinding against the fence. Viana had more control against the fence, but struggled to stop the takedowns of Cannetti which proved to be the difference-maker. There is a lot of good to take out of this for Cannetti as it allows him to stay with the UFC and he showed much better discipline with the takedown-heavy attack, but there was nothing to indicate that he'll be able to develop into a fixture. Viana could be cut as he is near the bottom of the hierarchy and at 32, doesn't seem to have much more room to grow.