Friday, July 31

UFC 190 Weigh-in Results: Rousey vs. Correia Fight Card

UFC 190 combatants take to the scale to make weight on Friday afternoon.

The bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey headlines against the undefeated challenger Bethe Correia, and the fight has gotten personal. The two already had an intense staredown at the pre-fight press conference. Now they must hit the scale to make their fight official.

Both Nogueira brothers are on this card, as "Minotauro" Antonio Rodrigo will fight Stefan Struve and Antonio Rogerio will face off against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. The main card is a seven-fight event.

Bleacher Report will be here to cover all the weigh-in happenings Friday afternoon. The weigh-ins get underway at 5:00 p.m. ET. Check back for full coverage.

 

UFC 190 Fight Card

  • Ronda Rousey vs. Bethe Correia
  • Mauricio Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
  • Glaico Franca vs. Fernando Bruno
  • Reginaldo Vieira vs. Dileno Lopes
  • Stefan Struve vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
  • Antonio Silva vs. Soa Palelei
  • Claudia Gadelha vs. Jessica Aguilar
  • Demian Maia vs. Neil Magny
  • Rafael Cavalcante vs. Patrick Cummins
  • Warlley Alves vs. Nordine Taleb
  • Iuri Alcantara vs. Leandro Issa
  • Vitor Miranda vs. Clint Hester
  • Hugo Viana vs. Guido Cannetti

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Rousey vs. Correia: Latest Odds, Predictions and Pre-Fight Twitter Hype

One of the hottest MMA fighters on the planet defends her title in her challenger's home country this weekend, when UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey travels to Brazil to face Bethe Correia

Of course, Rousey is a big enough star to get a friendly welcome, even when she travels abroad to fight a local star. Her tweet this week is the sort of comment we'd expect from a visiting pop star but not a visiting fighter:

Few athletes of any kind have received more attention than "Rowdy" Rousey over the past couple of years. She starred in one movie in 2014, had two this year and already has another scheduled for release in 2016. Meanwhile, the Olympic bronze medalist in judo has marched through every opponent placed in front of her, stopping all 11 of her professional opponents, with only one making it out of the first round. 

Her next opponent, Correia, is undefeated as well, but she's done it in far less impressive fashion, stopping just two of the nine women she has defeated. Seven of the 11 opponents faced by Rousey are still ranked in the UFC top 10 at 135 pounds, while none of Correia's are.

So it's not surprising that Rousey comes into this one as a prohibitive favorite. Odds Shark has her as a 1-16 favorite, with Correia slotted as an 8-1 underdog. 

On Twitter over the weekend, Brad Taschuk posed the rhetorical question that just begs to be asked:

Of course, the UFC is in a tough spot in regard to marketing Rousey. She's the biggest star on its roster and attracts pay-per-view customers who would not normally purchase a fight broadcast. So it has to keep her active. 

On the other hand, she's run out of credible opponents at this point. Women's MMA simply hasn't developed fast enough to keep up with her.

On the men's side of the sport, new potential stars emerge every year. If a 135-pound male fighter really and truly cleans out his division, he jumps to 145. That's not an option for Rousey

For now, at least, it seems not to matter. Rousey's own star power is sufficient to hype fights, at least to judge from some of the comments being made on Twitter. I assume fan Mark Cruickshank was sincere when he tweeted:

I see no indication that fan Justin Cheek is being cheeky when he tweets:

While I can't help wondering how low his personal "chills bar" is set, he's not alone. Justin Russo tweeted his own extremely high expectations for this weekend:

Over the history of combat sports, certain fighters have been able to achieve a level of fandom where it's an event every time they compete, regardless of who they face. It was like that for Mike Tyson in the 1980s. It's like that now for undefeated middleweight boxing champion Gennady Golovkin.

And it's certainly like that for Rousey. Fans don't really expect a competitive bout when she fights. They know she's going to come into the ring with a scowl on her face and make quick work of an overmatched opponent.

MMAFighting.com's Dave Doyle made this interesting observation last week:

So even facing one of the least compelling opponents she's ever seen, Rousey's own rising star is probably going to carry this event to successful sales numbers. 

Just don't expect a competitive fight. Earlier this week, Correia told MMAJunkie.com through an interpreter that she planned to beat Rousey using her boxing, noting that Rousey had "never really shown her boxing."

However, by pointing that out, Correia really just draws attention to the fact that nobody has been able to force Rousey into a protracted, stand-up fight. If you can hit Rousey, she can grab you. And if she can grab you, she can send you for a ride.

In the same MMAJunkie.com article, UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum noted that if Correia believes in herself, "there's always the chance to win."

It's a nice thought, but almost nobody is predicting Correia will actually win. Fox Sports' Elias Cepeda didn't want to overlook Correia's striking skill in his analysis, but he still picked Rousey by Round 3 submission.

Cepeda's article also contains a video segment with UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and former contender Kenny Florian. After providing a thorough fight breakdown, including an explanation of what Correia would need to do to win, they still both picked Rousey by submission with no hesitation. 

It's been tempting for people anxious to sell this fight to point to cases of famous upsets. They certainly happen. The reason Werdum was even interviewed for the MMAJunkie.com article is because of his shocking submission upset of Fedor Emelianenko in 2010. 

In the Fox Sports video, Cormier mentions Buster Douglas' 40-1 upset of Mike Tyson in 1990. 

But neither of those fights are in any way similar to Rousey vs. Correia. Werdum wasn't extremely well-known among U.S. fans in 2010, but he was a world-class heavyweight MMA fighter and a highly skilled black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Douglas came into his fight with Tyson having beaten two straight world titlists in Trevor Berbick and Oliver McCall. 

Correia never even started training in martial arts until after graduating from college. Rousey, on the other hand, has been learning to throw people on their heads and snap their arms since she was old enough to walk. 

Rousey is already well on her way to establishing herself as a great legend of the fighting sports. But her own evolution is so far beyond the current state of the sport that she might retire without ever having a competitive fight. 

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Video: Watch UFC 190 Weigh-Ins Live, Featuring Ronda Rousey and Bethe Correia

Ronda Rousey took over the Internet this week—at least, in the sports corner of it—even Cosmo got in on the action. Rousey's opponent, Bethe Correia, has been along for the ride.

She has definitely kept things interesting, to her credit. Correia fought her way into this match by beating two of Rousey's friends in Jessamyn Duke and Shayna Baszler but ruffled feathers with a discussion of Rousey potentially killing herself with a loss. Correia regretted the comment, per  of MMAFighting.com, but Rousey was having none of it.

Even in the fallout from that gaffe, Correia has remained unflappable, especially for someone who holds zero wins over top-10 opponents in the women's bantamweight division. It's like she knows something the rest of us don't, or she just has the best poker face in the MMA world.

Correia is a massive underdog (+750), per Odds Shark. Maybe she has a Hail Mary pass in herand anything that can happen inside an MMA cage usually doesbut former UFC fighter and current commentator Kenny Florian succinctly summed up what's at stake when he told Shaun Al-Shatti of MMAFighting.com that he thinks a Correia win "would be the biggest upset in UFC history."

The pre-fight media-day faceoffs took place Thursday. Correia got in Rousey's face and said a few words to her with intensity on her face. Rousey was having none of it. 

The big question on many people's minds is this: What does Rousey have in store for Correia? She told TMZ Sports that she's going to make Correia suffer:

If I beat you quickly, that's me at my nicest and most merciful. ... That means you get to go home unscathed with a paycheck. If I make the fight last longer, that means I don't like you and I want you to go home looking different than the way you walked in...and I don't like this chick.

The weigh-ins kick off at 5 p.m. ET on Friday, July 31. If you cannot stream the live video above, then follow along with our live blog for real-time text updates.

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UFC 190: Fight Night Bonus Predictions for Rousey vs. Correia Fight Card

Ronda Rousey has won five Fight Night bonuses in her last four UFC fights. She'll make it six in her last five on Saturday night in Brazil when she dismantles Bethe Correia in the main event of UFC 190.

Correia is a native Brazilian, but Rousey's popularity has grown so much that the champion may have just as many—if not more—fans at the HSBC Arena. In the Octagon, Rousey is likely better than Correia in every facet of MMA.

While Correia is known as a pure striker, Rousey has shown tremendous growth in this area since coming to the UFC. Because she's a couple of inches taller and a little better athlete than Correia (5'5"), Rousey (5'7") should have the advantage in striking.

If the fight goes to the mat, there's no question who has the advantage. Rousey has 11 wins with nine coming by way of submission. Correia has just two stoppage wins in her career, and none has come by submission.

The Brazilian is in over her head, and Rousey will take full advantage. Rousey will take home one of the two Performance of the Night bonuses.

 

Neil Magny Will Stop Maia

Neil Magny sounds ready to put on a show in his preliminary scrap with Demian Maia. Per Jordan Newmark of UFC.com, Magny said:

He’s already made a name for himself and he already has a huge legacy. I’m trying to come in and take over where he’s left off. He’s fighting to keep what he has and I’m fighting to take it from him. It’s a fight where both guys are not going to hold back and they’re going to leave it all in there.

Any fighter who hopes to stand a chance against a Brazilian jiu-jitsu master like Maia has to either have stellar takedown defense or be comfortable on the mat.

Magny has a little bit of both. His takedown defense is 71 percent, and his ground game has improved rapidly over the last three years. Magny is currently ranked 13th and riding a seven-fight win streak. A win over Maia would vault him into the Top 10 of the UFC's welterweight division.

Maia is no easy win in any arena or country, but the 37-year-old is especially tough in his homeland. He's lost just once professionally in Brazil in seven fights. That will only make Magny's win more impressive. He's had back-to-back Performance of the Night bonuses, and a third is on the way.

Because of Magny's takedown defense, defensive grappling skills and extraordinary 80-inch reach, he has all the physical tools and skills to beat Maia. Look for a second-round TKO victory in a dominant win from Magny.

 

Shogun and Nogueira Will Produce the Fight of the Night

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira will come to fight. Both men are Brazilian jiu-jitsu experts, but this fight will be fought on the feet. For as long the fight lasts, there will be fists, knees and feet flying between the two Brazilian legends.

The two men met when both were in PRIDE back in 2005. Rua won a unanimous decision, and the fight was a classic. The rematch could be just as good. The UFC recounted the first fight and previewed Saturday's rematch:

Rua and Nogueira know they are at the close of their illustrious careers. Getting back into the title picture isn't realistic, but putting on a show in front of their countrymen is an attainable goal.

Expect to see one of the most memorable fights of the year and the Fight of the Night.


Fight stats and fighter heights are courtesy of FightMetric.com.

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Former UFC Champions Andrei Arlovski and Frank Mir to Meet at UFC 191

It looks like Andrei Arlovski will have to wait for his rematch with Fabricio Werdum and his shot at reclaiming the UFC heavyweight belt. Instead, it appears the former UFC champion will meet Frank Mir at UFC 191.

The matchup was reported by Ariel Helwani on Fox Sports 1's UFC Tonight and is pending final confirmation:

With a 3-0 record since returning to the UFC roster and having risen to No. 4 in the heavyweight rankings, Arlovski was likely being considered for a title shot. However, with news that he will be competing against Mir, it appears Stipe Miocic may have won the race for a meeting with Werdum.

Although it's not shocking Arlovski would be passed over for Miocic, it is somewhat surprising that he'd be paired with Mir. Coming off a win over No. 5 contender Travis Browne, Arlovski figured to at least get a Top Five opponent, but he'll instead butt heads with the No. 10 contender in his division.

Not that long ago, Mir was sitting on four straight losses, and many were calling for him to retire from MMA. After taking some time away, though, Mir has returned looking as good as ever, recording back-to-back knockout wins over Antonio Silva and Todd Duffee in the past five months.

Should Mir continue his resurgence against Arlovski, he'd slide right back into the title-shot conversation at 36 years old.

Headlined by a rematch between 125-pound champion Demetrious Johnson and John Dodson, UFC 191 is set to take place September 5 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. As the card currently stands, a bout between Arlovski and Mir would probably fit in as the co-main event.

 

Fighter rankings from UFC.com.

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UFC 190: How Many More Fights Does Ronda Rousey Have Left?

UFC 190 should be titled “The Ronda Rousey Show,” as much of the promotion leading into this weekend’s event has provided multiple looks at the reigning women’s bantamweight champion. Rousey has grown to become one of the most important fighters on the UFC roster—if not the biggest star the organization has to offer.

However, with each fight that draws closer, one must wonder how many more times we will see this former Olympian in the cage. At this rate, the MMA community can only hope she will continue competing as frequently as her schedule allows.

Rousey is set to face off against the No. 5 women’s bantamweight competitor in Bethe Correia Saturday night. She’s traveling into the undefeated Brazilian’s home country, but even still, Rousey doesn’t seem to be as much of a villain as other foreign fighters have been in the past.

Correia represents a dwindling field of challengers within the women’s 135-pound group. Looking at the current Top 10 as ranked by the UFC, Rousey has already defeated six of those individuals. Correia has the potential to be the seventh fighter on that list.

Unfortunately, the current direction of the division doesn’t seem welcoming to new challengers, as Miesha Tate continues to remain relevant within the group. Her recent victory over Jessica Eye has granted her the listing as the No. 1 contender to the winner of UFC 190’s main event.

However, the question is whether or not a third bout between Rousey and Tate would garner fan attention. Rousey, on the other hand, is welcoming of the opportunity.

“If she’s the best competitor and she’s who the fans want to see then, yeah, I’m extremely interested in doing it,” Rousey said during a UFC 190 media call, as reported by MMA Junkie.

If Rousey gets by both Correia and Tate, what is left for the 28-year old champion? Multiple opportunities are presenting themselves to Rousey outside of MMA.

She has recently been added to the upcoming action movie Mile 22 to go along with her other ongoing projects. And as her brand continues to expand into Hollywood, more lucrative opportunities will fall at her feet. If the current slate of contenders doesn’t feature any interesting names, few would fault Rousey at taking advantage of other projects that will pull her away from fighting.

Rousey herself recognizes the need for other fighters to rise up and make these fights compelling for fans.   

"I need these other girls. It's not like I could do this by myself. I need a dancing partner," Rousey said, per Damon Martin of Fox Sports. "The analogy I use a lot is these girls are like plants—sometimes you can grow a crop and harvest it year after year like Miesha and sometimes you harvest it once and it will never grow back, like I don't think Bethe will ever come back after this.”

One name that is sitting on the list is Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino. The former Strikeforce and current Invicta champion is a longtime rival of Rousey. Even though they’ve never fought, the two women have verbally sparred back and forth for years. Unfortunately, the sticking point in a match between these two women surrounds the weight class in which they would meet.

As reported by Sherdog's Tristen Critchfield in March, the UFC has signed Justino to a deal with the stipulation that she must compete at 135 pounds while in Invicta before she can be considered an option to fight Rousey. During her last appearance in the cage, she defeated Faith Van Duin in 45 seconds to retain her Invicta featherweight title.

As of this moment, there isn’t an official word as to when or if Justino will attempt to make the 135-pound limit to bring this dream fight with Rousey one step closer. When looking at the current list of potential opponents for Rousey’s future, Justino should be the top candidate for big box-office numbers.

The current roster of UFC fighters is suffering a dearth of big names that can attract attention across all spectrums of entertainment. Rousey is perhaps the most important name on the company payroll. Unfortunately, a lack of worthy opponents and growing outside opportunities make it more and more realistic to expect her to walk away from the sport sooner than later.

Hopefully Rousey will find a way to keep MMA a part of her life for as long as possible.

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UFC 190 Fight Card: Odds, Projected Winner for Rousey vs. Correia and Top Fights

Ronda Rousey and Bethe Correia will close out a card with plenty of recognizable faces at UFC 189. The crowd in Rio de Janeiro will witness some of the biggest Brazilian names to come through the sport as a prelude to the women's bantamweight title fight. 

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua will take on Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in a rematch of a bout that took place a decade ago under the Pride banner. Meanwhile, his brother, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, will take on Stefan Struve in heavyweight action. 

The heavy Brazilian flavor of the card doesn't stop there, though. Two champions of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 4 will be crowned. Reginaldo Vieira takes on Dileno Lopes in bantamweight action, while Glaico Franca and Fernando Bruno will do battle for the lightweight crown. 

Here's a look at the complete seven-fight main card, along with the latest odds from Odds Shark

 

Biggest Fights of the Night

Claudia Gadelha vs. Jessica Aguilar

The women's strawweight bout between Claudia Gadelha and Jessica Aguilar might kick off the pay-per-view card, but it's one of the most important of the night. Nathan McCarter of Bleacher Report even made a case that it should have been the evening's co-main event. 

Big Nog, Little Nog and Shogun may be yesteryear's Brazilian stars, but wins for any of them at UFC 190 aren't putting them in their prospective title pictures. The winner of Gadelha vs. Aguilar will certainly be in the mix for the next shot at Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

As Jesse Scheckner of MMA Owl noted, Aguilar is one of the most talented strawweights, but her welcoming party to the UFC will be a tough one. 

As dominant as the champion looked in beating Carla Esparza and Jessica Penne, Gadelha fared much better against her. She actually managed to get Jedrzejczyk to the ground seven times in a split-decision loss, as noted by FightMetric

Aguilar's credentials are no joke. She's on a 10-fight win streak that includes names like Esparza and Megumi Fujii. She also held a title in World Series of Fighting. She's a well-rounded fighter who is capable of holding her own in the striking department as well as in grappling. 

However, she doesn't do anything as well as Gadelha grapples. In a battle of high-level fighters, the one who does one thing extremely well has a bit of an advantage. It should be the difference as Gadelha maintains control throughout the majority of a competitive three-round affair. 

Gadelha by decision

 

Shogun Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

It's been five years since Shogun Rua defeated Lyoto Machida for the light heavyweight championship. Since then, he promptly lost the title to Jon Jones and has gone 3-6. His co-main event fight against Nogueira is most likely his last shot at any semblance of relevance. 

Nogueira never quite reached the level of prominence that Shogun has in his career. He hasn't fought for a title in either the UFC or Pride. Shogun put an end to his brief run in the Pride middleweight Grand Prix in 2005. 

In the same span that Rua has gone 3-6, Nogueira is 2-2. That doesn't speak highly of his ability to stay healthy. Four fights since March 2011 isn't ideal. It does, however, show that Little Nog might have a little more left in the tank. 

These two fighters aren't the same as they were 10 years ago, and Little Nog believes the current version of himself is more prepared to change the result. 

"I’m confident, and I believe the fight could be a little different this time," Nogueira said, via Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting. "I’m stronger, heavier than when we fought the first time. I weighed 213 pounds at that time, and I weighed 227 pounds when I started my campand I believe I will weigh 227 pounds on fight night. I will be stronger to fight him in the clinch."

The additional weight might not be as important as the fact that Rua has been finished in three of his last four fights. Expect what's left of Nogueira to be better than what's left of Shogun.

Nogueira by second-round TKO

 

Ronda Rousey vs. Bethe Correia

The question of the main event isn't really whether Ronda Rousey will win. It's how and when. 

Even though both fighters are undefeated, their respective levels of competition are simply incomparable. Rousey has picked off the majority of the top 10 in the division. Correia's three victories have come over fighters with a collective 1-7 record in the UFC. 

There's a reason Rousey is one of the UFC's biggest stars. She's a force of nature with a combination of athleticism and technique that is far more developed than the majority of fighters in the young division. The result is a fighter who has won her last three fights in a combined 96 seconds. 

But will she dispose of Correia in a similar time? The only reason to believe she won't is anecdotal. Rousey's ability to secure quick submissions should be an available option for her because Correia looks to do most of her damage at close quarters, where Rousey is so good at executing throws and locking in submissions.

However, as this UFC video showed, Rousey is heavily emotionally invested in this opponent:

We've seen Rousey fight against opponents she doesn't care for before. Her rivalry with Miesha Tate is well-documented, as the two have fought twice, and Tate is the only fighter to survive more than a round with the champion.

If Rousey truly wants to make an example of Correia, this could go beyond the usual length for a Rousey title defense.

If the Rowdy One decides she's not all that into making Correia suffer after all, it will be another short night. Even with Correia's undefeated record, she simply isn't as athletic or technical on the ground as her opponent.

Rousey via first-round submission

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Ronda Rousey vs. Bethe Correia: Updated Odds, Predictions Before Weigh-in

Ronda Rousey will put her unbeaten record on the line and attempt to defend her UFC women's bantamweight title for the sixth time Saturday night when she faces Brazilian powerhouse Bethe Correia in the main event of UFC 190.

Correia has the home-field advantage with the event taking place in Rio de Janeiro and has a similar undefeated record, but there's little else in her favor going into this one. The 28-year-old Rousey has never looked more invincible as she stakes her claim as the world's most dominant combat artist, and her opponent will have to be at her best to prevent an early submission.

Friday's weigh-in is sure to include some dramatics, so let's take a look at the bout before that takes place.

 

UFC 190: Rousey vs. Correia Odds

Odds courtesy of Odds Shark, last updated July 31.

For all of the boom in popularity that the MMA in general has seen with the flourishing of the UFC, it's undeniably hard to believe a face of the sport has immersed so centrally into the sporting culture.

And for all of the hype generated in the past by the likes of Anderson Silva or Brock Lesner, or even in the present with Conor McGregor, there's been no male fighter who has taken over the sport quite like Rousey. In terms of wrestling prowess, her total of 30 seconds fought in her last two fights—amid submission finishes of 16 seconds and 14 seconds—shows her formidability.

However, that hasn't scared off Correia.

The Brazilian sees through the facade of Rousey's vaunted status as an untouchable fighter and believes wholeheartedly in her own chances. Not only does she think she can beat Rousey, but she believes it will bring justice to the sport, as she told Rolling Stone's James Montgomery:

She's trying to create this illusion around herself and it's making me want to go out there and do justice for everyone else. She's never faced someone who is as strong as I am, physically and mentally. She's never faced a tough Brazilian who has been through wars and a lot to get here to where I'm at.

The 32-year-old Brazilian has never lost in the Octagon, and she can attribute that to a tough-nosed mentality and an affinity for standing and striking. There are few women more powerful in the weight class, and those heavy hands will be among her biggest weapons.

That's a potential area of concern for Rousey, who is best utilizing her massive strength by taking opponents to the ground. She's rarely gotten into a punch-out brawl, with a notable exception coming against Meisha Tate in perhaps her most susceptible outing.

Correia's ability to land big blows with her fists will peak the interest of some, but it's far from enough to hang with a motivated Rousey in the Octagon.

Both fighters are unbeaten, but not all undefeated streaks are made equal. Consider this—three of the opponents Correia has faced in the UFC are a combined 1-7, while Rousey quietly rides the carousel of the world's best fighters.

There's already a bout with Tate looming for the winner, but as Bleacher Report's Jeremy Botter noted, that's all but a foregone conclusion:

For what Correia lacks as an all-around fighter, she more than makes up for in being tough as nails. That will allow her to hang around in this fight for more than a minute or two, which is more than any of Rousey's last three opponents can say, who lasted a combined 96 seconds.

Correia will assume a small victory by being able to crawl back to her corner in one piece after Round 1, but she won't last much longer as Rousey puts her out of her misery with a second-round armbar.

Prediction: Rousey wins via second-round submission.

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UFC 190: Bleacher Report Main Card Staff Predictions

The UFC’s exhausting schedule continues this weekend with UFC 190 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The card is far from stacked, but the opportunity to witness Ronda Rousey in action is always welcome. The UFC women’s bantamweight champion will take on Bethe Correia in the challenger’s home country. It’s a contest that—depending on how cynical you are toward such narratives—is extremely personal for Rousey.

Before the women collide in the main event, we can look forward to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua taking on Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Stefan Struve vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Claudia Gadelha vs. Jessica Aguilar in the latter’s UFC debut, and much more besides.

As always, Bleacher Report MMA’s team of malfunctioning precogs is on hand to offer their thoughts on the weekend’s main card. Read on for the views of Scott Harris, Riley Kontek, Sean Smith, Craig Amos and yours truly, James MacDonald.

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UFC 190 Weigh-in Results: Rousey vs. Correia Fight Card

UFC 190 combatants take to the scale to make weight on Friday afternoon.

Bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey headlines against undefeated challenger Bethe Correia, and the fight has gotten personal. The two already had an intense staredown at the pre-fight press conference. Now they must tip the scale to make their fight official.

Both Nogueira brothers are on this card, as Antonio Rodrigo will fight Stefan Struve and Antonio Rogerio will face off against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. The main card is a seven-fight event.

Bleacher Report will be here to cover all the weigh-in happenings Friday afternoon. The weigh-ins get underway at 5:00 p.m. ET. Check back for full coverage.

 

UFC 190 Fight Card

  • Ronda Rousey vs. Bethe Correia
  • Mauricio Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
  • Glaico França vs. Fernando Bruno
  • Reginaldo Vieira vs. Dileno Lopes
  • Stefan Struve vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
  • Antonio Silva vs. Soa Palelei
  • Claudia Gadelha vs. Jessica Aguilar
  • Demian Maia vs. Neil Magny
  • Rafael Cavalcante vs. Patrick Cummins
  • Warlley Alves vs. Nordine Taleb
  • Iuri Alcantara vs. Leandro Issa
  • Vitor Miranda vs. Clint Hester
  • Hugo Viana vs. Guido Cannetti

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UFC 190: Rousey vs. Correia Fight Card, TV Info, Predictions and More

Ronda Rousey will defend her UFC women's bantamweight title on Saturday night in Brazil against Bethe Correia in the main event of UFC 190. This is a grudge match as the two women have traded mean-spirited comments at one another over the past month. That trend continued at Thursday's press event, per Damon Martin of Fox Sports.

It'll all come to a head on Saturday night.

In the co-feature, Brazilian legends Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira will renew acquaintances. The two men battled in one of the sport's most legendary contests when both were in PRIDE back in 2005. Rua won a hard-fought unanimous decision, but it was a back-and-forth battle. 

Fans and the UFC are hoping Rua and Nogueira pick up where they left off 10 years ago.

 

When: Saturday, August 1 at 7 p.m. ET

Where: HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

TV: Fox Sports 1 for preliminaries, PPV for main card

Live Stream: UFC Fight Pass for early prelims

 

Here's a look at the complete card with predictions for each bout.

 

Rousey Will Punish Correia

Correia is not backing down from Rousey and she deserves credit for her courage, but the bravado will be short-lived. Amanda Salvato of the UFC spoke with Correia about her preparation for the biggest fight of her life.

There is really no conceivable way Correia can defeat the champion. Barring something completely crazy like Rousey slipping on the Octagon steps, or getting her foot caught on the cage during the bout, Correia will lose.

It's really just a matter of how badly and in what manner she'll be beaten. While Correia is a good striker with accuracy at 55 percent, she's never had to throw hands with an opponent who could make her pay in as many ways as Rousey can.

Whether it's with a counter from her ever-improving striking, or a nasty judo takedown, Correia's margin for error is about as slim as Christian Bale in The Machinist. Correia doesn't have the power to make the few opportunities she might have during stand-up exchanges count.

Thus she has to fight the perfect fight just to keep it competitive. That won't happen. She'll be wiped out by a determined and destructive Rousey in the first round.

 

Little Nog Will Win the Rematch

Quite honestly, the battle between Rua and Nogueira is a matchup between two shot fighters at the end of their careers. That might sound like a downer for a potentially amazing fight, but it's the truth. Andrew Richardson of MMA Mania is blunt and truthful about the dynamics of this bout:

He's [Rua] lost four of his last five bouts and was finished in three of those losses, meaning even his once iron chin has started to crack. If the Brazilian can't get a victory here, he may be at the end of his career. If Nogueira were to remain healthy for more than a few months a time, he'd likely be on a similar slide to "Shogun." Regardless, the younger Nogueira brother also really needs this victory, otherwise he'll be in Rua's current position.

Rua is only 33 years old, but with 32 professional fights and a good number of wars during his career, he's a shell of the guy he used to be.

Nogueira is 39 and he's been in his share of bloody battles as well. His speed and defensive instincts have declined noticeably.

With all that said, this fight should still be spectacular. Both guys are proud Brazilians who will want nothing more than to put on a show in front of their countrymen. Expect a stand-up war and a victory by Nogueira. 

He's always been the more technically sound striker and despite being older than Rua, Little Nog likely has more tread remaining on his tires.

 

Magny Will Score the Biggest Win on the Card

Demian Maia will not want to lose in front of his people, but Neil Magny won't give him another choice. The American has won seven fights in a row and he's the most improved fighter in the promotion over the last three years.

His wrestling and submissions skills have grown by leaps and bounds. He used a dominant ground game in his last two fights that resulted in stoppage wins over Hyun Gyu Lim and Kiichi Kunimoto. Magny is also blessed with an extraordinary 80" reach that makes it difficult to out-strike him.

Maia might be the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu artist in the sport, but his striking isn't on par with Magny's. Because of Magny's constant improvement on the ground, Maia doesn't hold a significant advantage there. Magny will win this one by one-sided unanimous decision or second-round TKO.


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UFC's Jon Jones Gives Motivational Talk to Kids at the Boys & Girls Club

TMZ Sports released the first video of Jon Jones to surface since he appeared before a judge for a felony hit-and-run charge.

In it he tells a small group of kids at the Boys & Girls club to work their hardest until they achieve the goals they want to achieve in life. "Know that you guys can do anything you want to do. If I did it, you guys can totally do it." 

Jones has remained relatively quiet over the last few months, and seeing him perform a public service is an encouraging sign for fans hoping he makes a return to the UFC. 

A few reports about Jones have leaked out over the last few months, mainly from current teammates who were asked about Jones' status. One teammate, Igor Araujo, even mentioned that Jones had to clean the gym mats when the training session was over, per Guilherme Cruz of MMAFighting.com

Araujo went on to tell Cruz that Jones is training every day. "He’s always joking around and laughing. I spoke with him the other day and he’s cool, being positive." 

On June 29, Steven Marrocco of MMAJunkie.com reported that the prosecutor in charge of the case "lacks two key pieces of evidence to move forward: medical records for the accident’s alleged victim and dispatch reports from the Albuquerque Police Department, according to the public information officer for the Bernalillo County (N.M.) District Attorney."

Marrocco went on to report the following:

While a 60-day deadline to move forward on Jones’ case expires today, the prosecutor can still pursue charges against him. If the prosecutor’s office had met the deadline, the case would have gone before a grand jury, which would then decide whether or not to indict him and proceed with a criminal trial.

District Attorney PIO Kayla Anderson emailed MMAjunkie.com the following key info, per Marrocco: “We have requested both pieces of outstanding evidence and anticipate moving forward when we have a completed case investigation.”

It's anyone's guess as to how the court proceedings will play out. The district attorney could push for a felony conviction or plea it down to a misdemeanor with a deal.

Jail time is certainly possible, but it seems unlikely given how we've seen other high-profile cases with famous athletes turn out. It all comes down to how the district attorney wants to play it and how strongly the prosecution feels its case is. 

It will be interesting to see if and when Jones comes back to the UFC.

Back in May, Jones' manager, Malki Kawa, told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour (via MMAFighting.com) that Jones would "take the time to do whatever he's gotta do. And if it's the last time we've seen him fight, it's the last time we've seen him fight. And I'm OK with that."

If Jones does in fact retire from the sport at just 28 years old, he will still go down as one of the all-time greats to have competed inside the MMA cage. 

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WSOF 22: Reasons to Watch Palhares vs. Shields Fight Card

If you're looking for star power, UFC 190 is the way to go. But if you want a solid fight card, top to bottom, what you really want this Saturday is World Series of Fighting 22.

Maybe get the toggle button ready on your remote control. Sure, Ronda Rousey and her submission game might be must-see TV but so too is that of Rousimar Palhares. You remember Paul Harris, the guy who launched a thousand memes, the guy who was released and banned from the UFC for holding submissions too long and continues to hold them too long in the WSOF? Not the sharpest knife in the ol' drawer there.

Is Palhares the kind of guy you look up to as a role model? Yeah, probably not. Is his behavior over the years ridiculous and out of bounds? I think so. Am I going to tune in and see whether he does it again or whether fellow grappling wizard Jake Shields can intelligently defend his way to a W and Palhares' welterweight strap? Yes.

I don't blame if you don't want to tune in. But I would blame you if you didn't want to watch some of the other action on the card, which includes bantamweight champion Marlon Moraes, who might be the best bantamweight today outside of the UFC. 

Either way, here are four reasons to tune in to the NBC Sports Network Saturday night.

 

 

Begin Slideshow

Bethe Correia's Mom Offers Her Own Fight Advice: Break Rousey's Jaw

Apparently, Ronda Rousey isn't the only one with a fight fan for a mother.

Bethe Correia, Rousey's opponent in the main event of UFC 190, said her mom, Tiana, recently had some pretty hard-nosed advice for her daughter, according to a report from Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting:

My mother told me...‘Please, finish this fight in 10 seconds. Knock her out, break her jaw.' It’s a mom thing. No mom wants to see a daughter get beat up, get hurt, and Ronda’s mom thinks about it. It’s easier to go for a takedown and lock an armbar, you don’t get hurt. My mom wants me to go there, throw the first punch, Ronda goes down, and I go back to her arms. It’s normal.

Correia made the comments Thursday at a media event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the two will fight Saturday for Rousey's women's bantamweight title.

Famously, Rousey's mother, AnnMaria De Mars, likes to get involved in her daughter's strategizing—and sometimes even backs up Ronda during public trash-talk sessions.

De Mars was a high-level judoka in her own right, and she introduced the sport to Rousey, who went on to win an Olympic bronze medal in the discipline.

Ronda recently told reporters during a media conference call that her mom was unhappy with Rousey's plan to prolong the bout in order to punish Correia for, interestingly enough, comments Correia made about Rousey's family in an interview with Portuguese-language website Combate (h/t MMA Fighting). It seems De Mars would rather Rousey finish the fight as soon as possible. Said Rousey of her mom's opinion, per Brent Brookhouse of MMA Junkie:

"She chewed me out. She wants me to end it as quick as possible still. I promised her that I’m going to be fine. I’m not going to take any damage. If it goes any longer, it’s just because I’m punishing her more."

No matter how long it lasts, Rousey (11-0) is a massive favorite to successfully defend her title against Correia (9-0). 

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Thursday, July 30

Things Get Heated at Ronda Rousey and Bethe Correia Media Staredown

Most would agree that Cat Zingano, Miesha Tate and Sara McMann were Ronda Rousey’s most dangerous opponents on paper. However, a sleeping giant could lie inside of Bethe Correia, who is slated to challenge Rousey for the women’s bantamweight title at UFC 190 on Saturday.

The undefeated Brazilian contender is swelling with confidence a few days out from the biggest fight of her career. She enters this fight as a huge underdog to Rousey, who is easily one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world—male or female.  

Despite the long odds, Correia is completely unfazed by the champ.

Some have stood strong in front of Rousey, while others have stood stoically. But we have never seen a contender get in Rousey’s face the way Correia did at the media staredown on Thursday.

To be fair, Rousey wasn't fazed either. The champ had the look of a stone-cold killer when posing for the media.

There have been some reservations about Correia’s chances on Saturday due to her lackluster resume as a bantamweight contender. She has yet to defeat a top-10 opponent in the division, and there really wasn’t anything spectacular about the three wins in the UFC that earned her the title shot. Furthermore, all of her UFC opponents have a combined UFC record of 1-7.

In his “Killing the Queen” piece, Fightland’s Jack Slack was brutally honest when breaking down Correia’s chances of defeating Rousey: "Is Bethe Correia the one to pull it off? Almost definitely not. ... She doesn't have one-punch finishing power—largely because she leans way forward at the waist and punches like she's paddling a kayak—and the active footwork she would need to avoid Rousey's linear charges has so far not shown itself."

You wouldn’t figure Correia to be an underdog when looking at her demeanor heading into UFC 190. That kind of confidence has to come from somewhere. Five other women have tried and failed to knock Rousey from her bantamweight throne.

Perhaps Correia really does have what it takes to pull off the unthinkable on Saturday.  

 

Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He also is the MMA writer for FanRag Sports and co-founder of The MMA Bros.

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Ronda Rousey: I'm Not a 'Do-Nothing B---H'

It's Ronda Rousey week on the Internet. That means everything she says and does is a possible talking point. And anything anyone famous says about her is potential fodder, too. 

Last night, the UFC released Episode 2 of UFC 190 Embedded. The embedded series is a fairly popular video blog series that the UFC puts out in the lead-up to a big fight card. It follows the fighters around as they gear up for Saturday night's festivities. 

Rousey always seems to have something fresh to throw into the fold.

This time, she drops a term of hers that she uses for the kind of woman her mom raised her to not be—she calls it a 'do nothing b---h,' or a 'DNB.' It is a label she has for the kinda "chick" (her words, not ours) who tries to be pretty and be taken care of by somebody else. 

Whatever you think of Rousey and her moxie, she's never been one to pull her punches. Some may even laud Rousey for setting a good example for other women to follow. She'll certainly never be mistaken for a Stepford wife. 

Rousey goes on to talk about her body being considered masculine by some. She finds the notion hilarious and says that just because her body was built for a purpose other than "f--king' millionaires" doesn't make it masculine. "I think it's femininely bad ass as f--k," she exclaims. 

Rousey fights in Brazil this weekend at UFC 190 versus Brazil's own Bethe Correia. From the looks of it, though, Rousey may have more support than any Brazilian competing on the card. 

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Anthony Johnson Now Slated to Fight Jimi Manuwa at UFC 191

Those scratching their heads at the odd pairing of Anthony Johnson and Jan Blachowicz at UFC 191 can stop worrying because the UFC has apparently had a change of heart.

According to a report from ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Blachowicz has been pulled from the fight, and Johnson will now face top-10 light heavyweight fighter Jimi Manuwa on the September 5 Las Vegas fight card.

There hasn’t been any official word from the UFC of why the bout was changed, but Okamoto is reporting that Blachowicz is expected to remain in the UFC 191 lineup.

Johnson had his nine-fight win streak snapped in May by Daniel Cormier in a bout for the vacant light heavyweight title.

He had Cormier in trouble early in the first round when he dropped the former Olympian with a massive overhand right, but Cormier’s tenacious wrestling and suffocating top control kept him in the fight.

Johnson was taken apart piece by piece in a grinding effort, before succumbing to a rear naked choke in the third round. Since the loss, Johnson has made serious adjustments to his training camp.

When speaking with MMAFighting’s Shaun Al-Shatti, he said he is now working with Neil Melanson, a longtime grappling coach who has worked with Randy Couture, Dominick Cruz and Michael Chandler.  

Manuwa will enter this fight coming off a unanimous decision win over Blachowicz in April. The 35-year-old UK star has shown plenty of promise during his three-year UFC tenure. His only loss came to current No. 1 contender Alexander Gustafsson.

UFC 191 features the flyweight championship rematch between Demetrious Johnson and John Dodson. A heavyweight tilt between former champions Andrei Arlovski and Frank Mir is also expected to be on the card.

 

Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He also is the MMA writer for FanRag Sports and co-founder of The MMA Bros.

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Rousey vs. Correia: Career Stats, Highlights for Both Fighters Ahead of UFC 190

Someone's "0" has to go in the main event of UFC 190 in Brazil. Undefeated women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey (11-0) will defend her title against Brazilian striker and undefeated challenger Bethe Correia (9-0). Here's a look at the tale of the tape.

By most accounts, Rousey is going to have her way with Correia. Beyond the fact that Rousey is the bigger, more athletic and more skilled fighter, Correia has also made Rousey angry with controversial comments about suicide.

Rousey, whose father took his own life, took offense to the comments, and she has promised to try to humiliate Correia. Correia claims she didn't know about Rousey's family history and apologized when she was made aware in the video below from USA Today:

In this video interview with Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting, Rousey rejected the apology:

In the Octagon, we've got a compelling but potentially one-sided main event on the way. Here's how the two women compare stylistically and statistically.

 

Striking

The stand-up game was once viewed as a weakness for Rousey, but she has worked diligently to make herself a weapon on her feet. She stopped Sara McMann with a knee to the midsection and also displayed some solid striking against Alexis Davis.

Rousey lands 3.66 strikes per minute in her fights. That's decent, but two factors likely drag down those numbers: Her average fight time is only 2:39, and her judo and submission skills still anchor her game. To put it plainly, she's an even better striker than the numbers indicate.

Defensively, Rousey could be a little better. Her striking defense is just 53 percent. The thing that makes her so difficult to beat—even with flawed striking defense—is that there are few, if any, 135-pound fighters with enough power to make her pay for taking their shots.

Correia is on par with Rousey as a striker, but her lack of length and power will make it tough to gain an advantage in stand-up exchanges. In her career, she's landed 6.07 strikes per minute and defended 66 percent of the attacks.

She's clearly a volume striker, but Rousey's dominance may not give Correia an opportunity to do damage with cumulative punishment.

Advantage: Slightly in Rousey's favor.

 

Grappling

This category is a total wipeout, as it would be with Rousey pitted against any opponent in the world. Nine of her 11 wins have come by submission, and quite honestly, all of them could have been via armbar had she wanted to end the Davis and McMann fights in that manner.

She has a 72 percent takedown accuracy, and her 60 percent takedown defense is irrelevant. No one wants to take Rousey to the mat. If she's down, it's probably because she wanted to be there.

Correia does have an excellent takedown defense percentage at 80 percent, but she's never faced Rousey. That's like a pitcher having an ERA under 2.00 in the minor leagues. It looks nice, but it doesn't matter much until the hurler faces major league hitters.

Correia is about to be called up to The Show, and Rousey is Mike Trout.

Advantage: Rousey in a landslide.

 

Finishing

Here's another area in which Rousey can't be compared to any other fighter—let alone someone in her division. She has finished every opponent she's ever faced, and only one has made it out of the first round.

Correia's fights almost always go the distance. She's a grinder. The Brazilian has no wins by submission and only two TKO victories.

Advantage: Rousey.

 

Intangibles

No one in professional sports has an aura quite like the one Rousey carries right now. She appears to have supreme confidence, and we all know her competency level is through the roof. That said, she's never really been in a war.

She's only had to face adversity one time in her professional MMA career. That came in her first UFC fight against Liz Carmouche, who took Rousey's back and looked to be working on a rear-naked choke. Carmouche lacked experience, though, and thus she couldn't lock it in. She would later succumb to the dreaded armbar.

That brings up this question: How would Rousey respond if she truly got rocked from a punch? Could Correia be the one to put her to the test?

She seems to have the right mentality heading into this fight. Then again, every one of Rousey's victims has talked a good game before having her arms wrenched, torso kneed and face punched in. Until we see differently, Rousey owns all of the intangibles.

Advantage: Rousey.

 

Who Wins?

Correia is the next victim in line. She's tough, but if you're considering betting on her, you'd be better off giving that money to your favorite charity—since you're in the giving mood.

It would be a great story if Correia won, but she won't. Rousey will dominate, and the quest for a legitimate challenger will continue.

 

Fight stats courtesy of FightMetric.com.

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