UnderGround Forum >> Report: 10 female fighters under UFC contract

Dave Meltzer's massive Jan 7 2013 Wrestling Observer Newsletter contains a great deal of compelling news items, including these three:

10 women fighters under UFC contract

Right now there are ten women fighters under UFC contract, the obvious ones being Rousey, Miesha Tate, Sarah Kaufman, Sara McMann and Liz Carmouche. They are said to be close to a deal with Cris Cyborg to come in at 135 (all the women under contract will be only fighting at 135). Tito Ortiz is her manager and that could make things entertaining. Cyborg, if she signs, would likely go for the title in her first match. While this doesn’t always happen, the idea is that they try and give everyone under contract three fights, which means over the course of the year, about 15 women’s fights or maybe one every other show. It’s not just going to be Rousey defends and nothing else. It’s a full division, probably along the lines of the flyweights.

Ronda Rousey trashes male boxer

Here’s a funny story, probably certain to be denied, but there is actually video of it although for obvious reasons I don’t ever expect the video to surface. Vic Darchinyan, a pretty well known boxer of Armenian descent who has held several world titles, was in a gym with Rousey, who trains judo with a number of Armenians including Karo Parisyan and Manvel Gamburyan. Somehow, this led to him claiming that no woman could ever throw him or armbar him. So they locked up and she launched him with throws one after the other and he had no way of stopping any of them. Then they went to grapple and it was seconds before she armbarred him and his people broke it up right away for fear she could hurt him with the move.

The TUF beast

The new season of Ultimate Fighter starts on 1/22. Taping ended several weeks back. This is what I’ve heard about the show from multiple sources. The Jones vs. Sonnen stuff never heats up to the level near what one would expect. Sonnen comes across as being there to help coach his charges as opposed to being there to play pro wrestler and hype up a fight and the belief is he comes across great. But those expecting a Jackson vs. Evans, GSP vs. Koscheck, Shamrock vs. Ortiz or even a Bisping vs. Miller like dynamic with the coaches will be disappointed. The fights are apparently great, and this comes from a number of people, and not just Dana White’s hyping of the show. White has talked about one guy on the show that everyone is afraid of. There is apparently one guy who will be the star of the season and one person told me that this person will come right out of the show and be an instant star. Others didn’t go quite that far in saying instant star, and the guy would still have to win the season since the finals won’t be until April. I just keep thinking back to when White hyped a season around a fighter walking in and being the next Anderson Silva, and the guy ended up being the first and only Philippe Nover, who ended up losing in the finals and being out of the UFC quickly and is completely forgotten today.

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