Cat Zingano had a pattern of starting off slow in fights. Ronda Rousey is known for finishing fights early. At UFC 184, those two tendencies manifested themselves in the most literal way possible.
The champion defended her belt in just 14 seconds via—you guessed it—armbar.
In defense of the challenger, she was clearly trying to address her prior slow starts. At the opening bell, she charged across the cage with the reckless abandon of someone looking to make a statement.
However, it's difficult to beat the champion at her own game. Once the bout hit the mat, Rousey wasted no time in isolating the arm and torquing her way to getting her hand raised for the 11th time in her career.
Fox Sports 1 passed along Miesha Tate's analysis of where it all went wrong for the challenger:
You can almost see the moment when Miesha'a head explodes. Rousey by armbar...again. Post fight show on @FOXSports1! pic.twitter.com/uoCja891EX
— FOX Sports 1 (@FOXSports1) March 1, 2015
The don't-blink-or-you'll-miss-it nature of this bout made it one that will forever be etched into Rousey lore. As Duane Finley of Bleacher Report and Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports noted, her last two title defenses have lasted all of 30 seconds:
Two title defenses in a combined 30 seconds. It would be hard to do that with a pistol let alone a human body.
— Duane Finley (@DuaneFinleyMMA) March 1, 2015
It's taken Ronda Rousey a combined 96 seconds to win her last 3 fights. Wow.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) March 1, 2015
The bout even made some official UFC history:
.@RondaRousey submission now ties for the fastest submission in modern UFC history. #UFC184
— UFC (@ufc) March 1, 2015
In the aftermath of the chaos, Zingano was clearly frustrated. Talking with Joe Rogan in her post-fight interview, the challenger was nearly speechless, only intimating that she wants another shot at the championship belt.
MMAFighting.com tweeted out the quote:
Zingano: "I want to do it again. I... just... f**k."
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) March 1, 2015
In all likelihood, Zingano's will one day get a rematch. Fortunately for the challenger, the women's bantamweight division isn't one that has a bevy of contenders waiting for a title shot. Depending on how things work out with a few other contenders and what Zingano looks like, it won't be long until it's her turn to fight for the belt again.
That is what happens when you have a champion that just runs right through everyone put in her way.
Rousey's dominance is something that is almost unprecedented in the UFC. Many have compared her to Royce Gracie because she's simply so far ahead of her division. But as Jonathan Snowden of Bleacher Report points out, this dominance goes beyond even that:
People keep comparing Ronda Rousey to Royce Gracie. I understand the impulse. But, yo, Royce Gracie never did anything LIKE THAT!
— Jonathan Snowden (@mmaencyclopedia) March 1, 2015
Gracie might have ruled the roost in the organization's early days, but Rousey is much more dynamic. Gracie won fights with superior technique and the wherewithal to neutralize opponents. Rousey simply has an element of physicality that makes her dominance even more special.
Rousey's superstardom couldn't have come along at a better time for the organization. With Anderson Silva almost certainly out of the picture, Georges St-Pierre possibly done for good and Brock Lesnar's hulking frame entertaining crowds in the WWE, the women's champion is on her way to becoming the new face to the UFC.
Much like her fights, that rise to prominence has been impressively quick and dominant.
