Since her UFC 207 TKO loss to Amanda Nunes, there’s been a lot of talk of Ronda Rousey needing new coaching and teammates. She does.
There hasn’t been enough discussion of how Rousey also needs much better career management and promotion, however. Her promoter, the UFC, has shown bad judgment in rushing Rousey and matching her poorly since her 2015 KO loss to Holly Holm, and everyone involved in helping Rousey manage her career has also failed her in going along with those plans.
Let’s rewind back to the weeks immediately following Rousey’s UFC 193 loss to Holm. She was out-classed and then badly knocked out in the fight, but UFC president Dana White spoke out of turn to the world and announced that he knew for a fact Rousey was doing well and was eager to return to competition.
Rousey herself told a much different story – detailing how she was still having trouble chewing food and didn’t know when she would be healthy enough to fight again. Once Rousey did return the UFC shoved her right into another title fight.
Former two-time world champ Miesha Tate said that she believed Rousey was essentially doing the UFC a favor by fighting Nunes at UFC 207. She could very well have been right.
There certainly was no great reason for Rousey to fight Amanda Nunes in her first fight back, other than a short-term big payday. Everyone who knew anything about fighting recognized that Rousey would be in a lot of trouble against Nunes if she couldn’t get the takedown early and often.
Most knowledgeable observers could have also guessed that Rousey wouldn’t be much improved or changed since her first loss by working with her same coach and team as she was. Amanda Nunes was a nightmare match up for Rousey, plain and simple.
Beyond that, the UFC seemed to be poised to be looking past that match up and towards a Holm vs. Rousey rematch at 145lbs. Holm, of course, is on a two-fight losing streak yet is laughably set to fight for a piece of tin the UFC is calling a championship at featherweight, against Germaine De Randamie next month.
Assuming Rousey would beat Nunes was folly, if the UFC did. Assuming Holm will beat Germaine would be a bit arrogant, and thinking that Rousey would have something for Holly if they were to fight after all that, given how badly she was beaten by “The Preacher’s Daughter” was outright ignorant hubris, if that was their plan.
In any case, we know for certain that the UFC – now owned by Rousey’s talent agency WME-IMG in an unconscionable conflict of interest – has a vested interest in Ronda doing well and still somehow thought it was a good idea to throw her right into another title fight just months after she was knocked out and considering suicide.
With her popularity and fame Rousey could have come back against any woman, warmed-up a bit, and still sold scores of pay-per-views and made everyone buckets of money while having a better chance at getting back on the winning track. Matching Rousey with Nunes was bad promoting and worse career management for Ronda.
Now, she’s shot – at least physically for the foreseeable future, and perhaps mentally as well. The UFC and Ronda Rousey’s management played a short game that disregarded her health, overall interests and long-term earning potential.
I don’t know where Ronda Rousey goes from here, but the all-time great should start by reevaluating the people who have their hands in her pockets and the control they have over her career.
About the author:
Elias Cepeda has served as a writer and editor covering mixed martial arts and combat sports, as well as public and cultural affairs, since 2005. He began as a staff writer for InsideFighting, and not long thereafter became publisher and editor of the page. Cepeda then went to write for Yahoo! Sports’ boxing and MMA pages, and edited their Cagewriter blog. He was hired away by FOX Sports, but after several years departed over philosophical differences with the executive leadership around important issues of journalism ethics. A student of and sometime competitor in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA since 1999, Elias brings a unique and vibrant presence to reporting, and enjoys trying to highlight shared humanity and connect common experiences from seemingly different worlds.
We are honored to announce that Elias will be writing a weekly column for The UnderGround.
Underground Blog -We are honored to announce that Elias will be writing a weekly column for The UnderGround.
What an honor for us! Thank you so much.
The mismanagement of the written word...
Any way we can get some info about the author? We should be honoured to have him writing blogs here.
Terrible take in this blog
Bigtrain2681 -Any way we can get some info about the author? We should be honoured to have him writing blogs here.
LOL
Bigtrain2681 -Any way we can get some info about the author? We should be honoured to have him writing blogs here.
We can decipher some things from his perceptions.
Since we know he believes Rousey was rushed back "just months" after being knocked out by Holm, we can conclude he experiences an altered version of time. In his world, over a year equates to a just few months.
We also know his application of logic includes many assumptions. By implying the UFC pushed her toward a fight for which she wasn't prepared, we're led to believe Rousey was either a reluctant or naive variable in the process.
I mean, no way we even consider the possibility a clearly headstrong Rousey would accept nothing less than a title fight, and the promotion was left with a single option for bringing back their biggest name. In such a case, her management and promotion couldn't force down a different path, and responsibility would lay with the fighter herself.
Then again, with the sheer number of grammatical errors, I could have misinterpreted some things.
Rousey was a 2-1 against Nunes
I doubt Rousey was looking at a long game of redemption through many fights and different training camps, more likely hoping to run in and grab some quick glory and loot and ride off.
OMA (tm) -Rousey was a 2-1 against Nunes
Which is why the author stated "Everyone who knew anything about fighting..... '' and "Most knowledgeable observers could have also guessed that Rousey wouldn’t be much improved or changed....."
Betting lines/odds were effected by the unrealistic hype. You would have had to have been a complete fool or simply ignorant to reality to have bet on Rousey.
Jihad To Steal My Goat Huh - Why is it all about RR being not being properly prepared and not about Nune's being an absolute beast? Seems like White Knighting lol
Probably because had RR been able to get Nunes to the ground the fight would have most likely ended very differently. Her entire camp should have been spent on stand up DEFENSE and getting the TD without having to wade through the punches of an opponent who fires non stop fastballs right down the middle.
People wanted to see a competitive fight from the girl the UFC has been promoting as the GOAT, capable of cleaning out Mens divisions and crossing over to beat the greatest boxer of all time (arguably). Well, I mean, I didn't... I wanted to see her eat more humble pie but, it would have been nice to see the product come close to matching the hype.
WorlynnLotD -Elias "The Penis" Cepeda
In.
itskrisdude -Bigtrain2681 -Any way we can get some info about the author? We should be honoured to have him writing blogs here.
We can decipher some things from his perceptions.
Since we know he believes Rousey was rushed back "just months" after being knocked out by Holm, we can conclude he experiences an altered version of time. In his world, over a year equates to a just few months.
We also know his application of logic includes many assumptions. By implying the UFC pushed her toward a fight for which she wasn't prepared, we're led to believe Rousey was either a reluctant or naive variable in the process.
I mean, no way we even consider the possibility a clearly headstrong Rousey would accept nothing less than a title fight, and the promotion was left with a single option for bringing back their biggest name. In such a case, her management and promotion couldn't force down a different path, and responsibility would lay with the fighter herself.
Then again, with the sheer number of grammatical errors, I could have misinterpreted some things.
Since we know he believes Rousey was rushed back "just months" after being knocked out by Holm, we can conclude he experiences an altered version of time. In his world, over a year equates to a just few months.
That caught my attention.
But I'm the worst writer in the intire UG when it come's to Grammer & Spelling so I have to tread lightly lol...
The key to gambling & winning
Look for the over hyped - Got it. I will be rich soon.
Jihad To Steal My Goat Huh - Why is it all about RR being not being properly prepared and not about Nune's being an absolute beast? Seems like White Knighting lol
I think most people get that about Amanda, I think most are referring to whether or not Ronda should have been in that fight at all. She probably wasn't even prepared for the bottom of the top ten. Amanda was clearly ready for what happened.
JunkieDog -OMA (tm) -Rousey was a 2-1 against Nunes
Which is why the author stated "Everyone who knew anything about fighting..... '' and "Most knowledgeable observers could have also guessed that Rousey wouldn’t be much improved or changed....."
Betting lines/odds were effected by the unrealistic hype. You would have had to have been a complete fool or simply ignorant to reality to have bet on Rousey.
I made $1,280 betthing on Nunes to win.......
So trust me I get it..... but what ur saying is not true. Lots of people thought she would win. Lots of fighters and very knowledgeable fans
Coming out after the fact and saying Nunes is a beast and Ronda wasn't ready is Monday morning quaterbacking at it's finest. Ronda was the favorite. This money grab may be a ufc plan but Ronda just as guilty as the rest, nobody forced her to take this match. To me the big issue is her camp. If she wants to improve she has to make changes that she's clearly unwilling to do. Just getting in better shape wasn't enough [big suprise] either improve striking or figure out different takedown stratgies but whatever she's doing clearly isn't working. Nunes was underrated going in probably based on her loss to Zingano. She's much better now.
Canooke -WorlynnLotD -Elias "The Penis" Cepeda
In.
Elias Capenis
What language was this google translated from?