Ultimate Fighter: Rousey v Tate

[METAL ON METAL]

Yep, JDS is single. In fact the interview in which he went on about Tate and Rousey being hot was done in the presence of his recently divorced ex-wife, who still happens to be his manager. JDS doesn't give a fuck!

[wandshogun09]

Miesha better move fast though. JDS is a bit of a playa.

 

 

 

 

The woman in the last picture is his 'translator' who he brought around everywhere with him. Even though he speaks English just fine. Hmmm. Yeah, Jun, she's just there in case you forget how to order room service right?

[Ross18]

Yeah, Ronda didn't come across very well at all on this episode. Either did Baszler. Definitely started the show impartial but by the time the fight came round I really wanted Pena to win it.

 

Next week should be good too. I liked Holdsworth from the first show, plus the whole Team Alpha Male factor im hoping that he can go on and win the whole thing. But then again Chris Beal looked pretty good too so should be a really good fight.

 

I was already swinging towards Team Tate from the first show and the picks, but then this episode definitely swung it for me. But we'll see..Still a long way to go but definitely a good start to the season.

[Egg Shen]

Really enjoyed the episode, capped off with a very good fight. I picked Bayzler from the start and it seemed like the show was being set up as a bit of a Bayzler promotional tool as the episode went on but fuck me i was happy to see Pena pull off the upset. Comments like 'this girl should be attending my seminars' put me firmly on Team Tate.

 

As for Ronda, she came off like a bit of an idiot especially the final few seconds where she said she'd make Tate suffer for smiling at her girls pain, only for Tate to respond with 'what? Shayna's my friend'

 

...and Tate is still smoking.

[ColinBollocks]

I haven't been into an UF this much in years. It's generally after the second episode where I start to lose a bit of interest (recently, anyway) and by the fourth week I don't bother with it.

 

No doubt, what makes it so compelling is the dynamic between Tate and Rousey. I loved all the "for smiling at Baszler losing, I'm going to murder you" talk; that's how you make big money on fights. Rousey seems so incapable of dealing with anything she can't control (like losing) that you feel she is always on the verge of going mental. Her unpredictable temperament is engrossing and it's surely only going to get more volatile.

 

I too would love to disappoint the lovely Tate.

[Shane O' Mac Version 2]

So I've caught up with the first 2 episodes and already done a 180 on my opinions of the coaches. I knew Rousey was a hot-head, but I thought she was a bit more intelligent than she's coming across so far, it's almost like she's having temper tantrums. Tate, who I thought was a bit stuck up, comes across really grounded and caring. Would still mount either lady though.

 

I'd be highly disappointed if this season came and went without some kind of sexual tension. Not to say I want it to be Big Brother, but I don't want it to be exactly like most other TUFs recently (bland), just with some competitors packing a vag.

 

About the fight, I like Pena, she's aggressive and attractive. A lady on the street and a freak in the cage. Baszler was far too cocky for my liking, it's MMA, you should always have a certain level of respect for your opponents skills. Pena was pretty heavy handed and I think that came as a surprise.

[wandshogun09]

I was reading an interview with Cody Bollinger earlier and he was saying one of the women fighters was an absolute nightmare to put up with in the house and drove everyone nuts. I bet it's Shayna Baszler. I can see her, especially now she's lost and effectively out of the competition (barring injuries or a wildcard), ramping up the twat factor. She's the only one of the women at this early stage who seems an outright bumhole.

[Egg Shen]

anyone else think Bayzler's loss can somewhat be pinned on the evolution of women's MMA?

 

Following women's MMA is interesting because it's basically going through the same growing process as men's MMA (be it on a smaller scale), and being a pioneer of the whole thing Bayzler spoke all the way through the episode about how long she'd been fighting and how Pena doesn't deserve to be in the cage with her. It had a bit of a new breed beating the old breed kind of vibe to it, women's MMA is probably in that stage now where the ratings we see probably aint fairly reflective of who the actual best fighters are (a few other notable names involved were beaten in the qualifying rounds), i imagine loads of 'unknowns' are gonna come out of the woodwork and upset the women considered the best in the division over the next few years.

 

That said, Bayzler's likely to get some kind of UFC deal regardless.

[wandshogun09]

Yeah, that's what's great about the womens division. Even though WMMA has been televised since what, 2007/08 in the Gina Carano era? It's taken on a whole new life since the UFC got on board. It's like a brand new division. It's really hard to rank them, a lot of the women aren't known because there were only a handful of shows that televised womens fights.

 

It's why when people say WMMA is shallow or weak, I don't think that's true. Look how quick the level has risen. I didn't think there was quite enough depth in WMMA until Invicta came along. I was skeptical that an all-women MMA promotion would be doable yet, but they're putting on really solid shows. These women on TUF don't look out of place either and as you say, as much as people were talking about all the recognizable names on this TUF on the womens side - the Baszlers, Modafferis, LaRosas etc - it might actually be the women we didn't know who end up being the real story. Julianna Pena looks legit to me. If there's a few more like her on this season then that's great for the division as a whole.

 

I definitely think there's something in the evolution point. If you look at the short time the women have been in the UFC, there's been a few surprises of newer blood upsetting the old guard. Personally, I was quite taken aback when Germaine De Randamie handily beat Julie Kedzie the other month. Without checking, Randamie only had a small number of fights and not the best win/loss ratio, and Kedzie is a bit of a pioneer for WMMA. Then there was Cat Zingano stopping Miesha Tate, which was less of a shock but still a case of new blood beating one of the established names. Tara LaRosa and Shayna Baszler, two names who have been at the top of WMMA almost as long as it's been a thing, have already been given a rude awakening on TUF by younger relative unknowns. You've got young fighters like Amanda Nunes and Jessica Andrade who could be promising with more time.

 

It feels like a bit of a changing of the guard phase the womens side of MMA is going through. The likes of Baszler, Kedzie and LaRosa are either going to have to adapt or find themselves in the L column more regularly IMO. WMMA is becoming a proper part of the sport now rather than a novelty. So the days of being a big fish in a little pond are pretty much gone, and from here on in we should see the talent level and depth get bigger and bigger. It's going to be great to watch the whole thing develop over the next few years.

 

Its a matter of time before we get more womens weight classes as well. A quick look at Invicta's roster and you'll see there's bags of potential there. Michelle Waterson, Rose Namajunas, Tecia Torres, Bec Hyatt and Joanne Calderwood are all either marketable or exciting prospects, or both.

 

Then there's Holly Holm, who I'm actually surprised Sean Shelby hasn't already snapped up to be honest. She's undefeated in MMA, only has a few fights so far but has looked awesome. She was successful as a pro boxer and had 30 odd wins with only a few losses. Trains at Greg Jackson's with Jon Jones, Condit, Cerrone, sometimes GSP, and all the other beasts there. She's got a marketable look and she's showing improvement, she's not relying on her boxing credentials, she's headkicking these poor bints cold. She's the free agent to sign right now. And she's a 135er.

 

I've rambled. My point is, WMMA is off to a really strong start. It's only going to get stronger in the next few years.

[jimufctna24]

You pretty much nailed it Wand, good post

 

I have given up on this, not because it is crap but because I cannot get into TUF these days.

[Egg Shen]

once Holm gets her next Legacy fight out of the way i find it very hard to believe that the UFC won't be snatching her up.

[METAL ON METAL]

Good post there.

 

I was skeptical that an all-women MMA promotion would be doable

 

You sleazy bastard, Wand.

[wandshogun09]

I'm going to try to stick with it. I'm liking it so far and Ronda's meltdowns might be enough to keep me tuning in. I agree though, I think the whole TUF format is stale now, there's not a whole lot they can do differently either. There's only so many ways you can do the fighters reality show with the house and a contract up for grabs. Certain combinations will pull me in, the Ronda-Miesha rivalry being one, but like Blackson I usually start losing the will to watch by three or four episodes in. The telling sign that I'm bored of the TUF style show was that I didn't even get past episode 2 of the last TUF Brazil. And Nog is one of my all-time favourite fighters. I still haven't even started Bellator's Fight Master. The only MMA reality show I stuck with recently was Fight Factory last year, I really enjoyed that. Oh, and TUF Smashes obviously. Which goes to show, if the show is good and feels at least a bit fresh, you'll stick with it.

 

I'm planning to see this TUF through to the end.

 

EDIT - got me Metal. Caught red handed (there's another one).

[jimufctna24]

It does seem like when excluded weightclasses hit the UFC (or Zuffa at least) the status quo is changed.

 

Kid Yamamoto was thought to be the top featherweight in the world, in 2006 it was expected that Yves Edwards would clean up at the relaunched UFC 155lbs weight class. Now some established women are getting beaten.

 

Fight Factory is the only show I kept with, as it changed the same tired reality MMA formula that the UFC have kept for years.

[Egg Shen]

add Miguel Torres to that list. Before he came to the UFC he was unanimously considered the best 135lber on the planet and even sat on most p4p lists.