UFC 200: Amanda Nunes' win shows just how important Ronda Rousey is
The women's bantamweight division needs its first champion back
By
Brandon Wise
•
1 min read
Call it the Ronda Rousey curse. Ever since the former women's bantamweight champion stepped away for a bit to work on other projects outside the octagon, the top of the women's division has been a wreck.
It started with Rousey's loss to Holly Holm in November 2015. Rousey was expected to get a rematch with Holm at some point in 2016, but Holm didn't want to wait around and took a fight against Miesha Tate in March. Holm came in heavily-favored after pulling off the shocking upset on Rousey.
Could the woman who just beat the unstoppable force really lose in her first defense? I mean, she's fighting the woman Rousey had already beaten twice before.
Tate did everything she had to, dominating Holm on the ground before scoring the fifth-round submission victory.
Which brings us to Saturday night. Tate, defending her belt for the first time, was the match favorite and was expected to walk through challenger Amanda Nunes. The confident favorite was already talking before the fight about her possible trilogy matchup with Rousey later this year. Once the opening bell rang and Nunes broke Tate's nose, she probably wished she waited for Rousey to come back in 2016.
To recap, there have now been four champions in the women's bantamweight division ever. There have also been four champions in the women's bantamweight division in the last eight months.
This inconsistency from the champions has us begging for Rousey to make it back to the octagon sooner than later. Rousey successfully defended her title six times before losing to Holm in 2015. Though she did get crushed in that fight, Rousey is still the best woman's fighter we have ever seen in the UFC octagon.
She was a pioneer for the sport and deserving of the accolades that came her way. Her importance to the division has paved the way for Holm, Tate and Nunes to have this kind of success.
If she does not come back to fight Nunes before Nunes takes on another challenger, it only adds to this mythical legend even more. Because while the division can't come to a standstill with Rousey out of action, we need to discuss the elephant in the room.
Ronda Rousey will be back and when she does, she will restore order to this division.
