Jessica Eye: Ronda Rousey at Madison Square Garden? 'It just makes sense'

Jessica Eye insists her sole focus right now is a UFC on FOX 16 matchup with Miesha Tate. But she also knows what potentially lies on the horizon, and she wants to take the UFC women’s bantamweight title from current champ Ronda Rousey.

“Madison Square Garden, baby,” Eye told MMAjunkie’s John Morgan on the latest edition of “The MMA Road Show.” “Me and Ronda Rousey. Come on now. Brunette vs blonde. Tough girl vs. tougher girl. I feel like it just makes sense.”

Eye (11-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is currently ranked No. 5 in the UFC official rankings while Tate (16-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC) sits No. 2. The two meet on the FOX-televised main card of UFC on FOX 16, which takes place July 25 at Chicago’s United Center.

On paper, the contest would seem to feature Eye’s crisp striking vs. Tate’s grappling attacks, but Eye sees things a little bit differently and believes she has the edge regardless of where the fight goes.

“There’s no way Miesha goes into that fight winning, at all,” Eye said. “I don’t see any way that she can beat me – and not because she’s not good, but because I’m just better.”

Should Eye beat Tate, she would have a strong case as a No. 1 contender. On paper, her record appears to be just 1-1 in the UFC, but a win over Sarah Kaufman was erased from her ledger after failing a post-fight drug test for marijuana, and her lone loss came by split decision.

Beat Tate, Eye said, and it’s her turn to challenge for the belt.

“To me, it’s a process of elimination,” Eye said. “If I fight you once and beat you, it’s on to the next one. I know once I beat Miesha, I know where my place is. And I already know anyways – I just think maybe it will solidify it a bit more.”

In the meantime, Rousey (11-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) faces Bethe Correia (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) at UFC 190 in Brazil on Aug. 1.

Correia is actually No. 7 in the UFC rankings, but she was granted a spot ahead of Eye, who says the UFC’s need of a headliner in Brazil (especially with former middleweight champ and Brazilian superstar Anderson Silva on the shelf) gave Correia the spot whether or not she truly deserved.

“Really, that fight wouldn’t be happening in Brazil if Anderson wouldn’t have had his dilemma with the drug test,” Eye said. “I think if everybody would use their head a little bit, put the puzzle together, you would realize that the only reason why Bethe and Ronda are fighting is because Anderson is not, and they needed somebody. They needed a big draw.

“Bethe is big over there, and so is Ronda. … She’s the champ. Of course the champ is going to have clout no matter where they go.”

Oddsmakers have installed Rousey as a more than 12-1 favorite over Correia, and Eye honestly doesn’t  see it even that close and gives the challenger no real chance of winning the fight.

“None,” Eye flatly said. “Maybe I’m a little biased when I say that. And nothing against her or her fight skill or her ability. The girl has never said one bad thing about me, and I’m not saying anything bad about her, either. I just know what I want and I ideally see myself doing. Maybe that’s why I look at it the way I look it.

“I want that fight. I didn’t get in this sport to just be one of the top-five fighters. I got into this sport to be a champion. Until I’m a champion, I’m just going to push, push, push, push, push until I’m there.”

So Eye’s job is to down Tate on July 25. One week later, Rousey will look to do the same to Correia. If both are successful, Eye sees no reason she shouldn’t get to challenge the champ, and when she does, she sees herself taking the belt.

“I’m going to beat Miesha Tate, and I’m going to fight Ronda Rousey and get that title,” Eye said. I know that everybody is looking right now, and I know that this is the time. … Jessica Eye is here. The ‘Evil’ is here. It’s my turn.

“Everybody in this sport has a purpose. I just know what mine is.”

For more on UFC on FOX 16 and UFC 190, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.