Trading Shots: Ronda Rousey is not amused, and other thoughts from the TUF 18 Finale

In this edition of Trading Shots, MMAjunkie columnist Ben Fowlkes and former UFC/WEC fighter Danny Downes look back on the night that was for women’s MMA, from Ronda Rousey to Miesha Tate to “The Ultimate Fighter 18? contestants.

Fowlkes: Danny, I don’t know about you, but while I was sitting through all 16 hours (that’s how it felt, anyway) of the TUF 18 Finale, easily the most uncomfortable moments occurred when UFC women’s bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey was forced to share screen time with challenger Miesha Tate. It was like Rousey was concerned we might see them on TV together and mistake them for friends, so she went out of her way to show her disdain with both body language and, you know, language language. I know a lot’s already been said about how this season of “The Ultimate Fighter” may have altered people’s perceptions of Rousey, but did this seal anything for you? And does it matter if people think the champ is one great big sulking, eye-rolling ball of angry disgust, or is the only important thing that they still want to watch her fight?

Downes: After watching this season of “TUF” (that’s right, I watched the whole thing), I expected Rousey to act that way. Some might call her intense and boast about how she “keeps it real” while the Ben Fowlkeses of the world accuse her of being tactless. We’ve talked about it in the past, but Rousey is one of those fighters who needs to hate her opponent. Chael Sonnen and Rashad Evans can yuk it up on “UFC Tonight” before stepping into a cage, but that’s not how Rousey rolls.

UFC President Dana White has called her the female incarnation of a Diaz brother, and on a night in which Nate Diaz steamrolled Gray Maynard, it’s worth making that comparison. In many ways the Diaz brothers have become a caricature of their middle finger-waving, 209-shouting ways, but fans love them. They certainly have their detractors, but when a Diaz brother starts mean-mugging fools, people take notice. Why should Rousey be any different? Do all UFC champions need to be likable? We’ve all seen that quote, “Love me or hate me, but spare me your indifference.” It’s not just for Pinterest boards, Fowlkes. Isn’t that the fight game?

Fowlkes: You raise a fair point, and one I started to consider after someone raised the same point to me on Twitter last night. An actual Diaz brother behaves, well, let’s say boorishly, and hey, it’s part of the show, man. But Rousey keeps it so real it burns every time the camera catches her in the same frame as her rival and we act like our delicate sensibilities have been offended. Is it just straight-up sexism or what?

That’s probably part of it, and so we should check ourselves lest we wreck ourselves with latent, unexamined gender bias. If it’s cool for male fighters to be seething with hatred for every pseudo-grudge match, it should be fine for women to do the same. I don’t think that explains all the backlash, though. I think the other part is that it’s starting to feel tiresome. Rousey didn’t like Tate the first time they fought, back in 2012. Then she didn’t like her all season on the reality show. So by the time Rousey’s glowering rage goes on full display in an awkward cageside interview (which mostly made me feel bad for Jon Anik, who had to stand between them and try to hold the interview together), it’s not unexpected. It’s not even anything new.

But you’re right, not every UFC champion has to be likable. It’s probably easier to make people hate you than trick them into liking you, in fact. Judging by Julianna Pena‘s comments following her “TUF 18? win, Rousey alienated more than just a few reality TV-loving fight fans. And honestly, I kind of think that might be exactly what women’s MMA needs: a few fresh rivalries. The novel thing about Rousey-Tate was that it marked a departure from the we’re-all-in-this-together attitude so prevalent in WMMA. So maybe what we need now is something other than these same two women running through the same exact script every time we see them. Which reminds me, on the whole, what did you think of the female talent on display last night?

Downes: Get used to it. Not just in the sense that women’s MMA is here to stay, but the level of fighters on display. From Roxanne Modafferi‘s stand-up to Jessamyn Duke‘s strange headlock takedown, these weren’t exactly brilliant displays of combat expertise. With the number of planned UFC events next year, we should come to expect a drop off in what we consider “main card talent.” When faced with this realization, my gut reaction was like most of the MMA media: scorn. We’re cheapening the sport! The UFC is spreading itself too thin! Blah, blah, blah. As I thought about it, though, I pulled back on the disdain.

First, it doesn’t matter what industry you’re in; growth doesn’t come if you only cater to die-hards and media types. If you want global success, a wide net needs to be cast. This means more “Ultimate Fighter” seasons and localized (aka lower tier) events. Secondly (and more importantly), are the fights we’ve seen lately really that bad? The fight that changed the game was Stephan Bonnar-Forrest Griffin I. Go back and watch that fight. It wasn’t a brilliant display of technical prowess. Yes, the bloated roster isn’t filled with world beaters, but they are far more skilled in MMA than the people on the first season of “TUF.” If that level of skill was good enough to propel the UFC to where it is today, why isn’t the new wave good enough? Is this a case of media being contrarian just for contrarian’s sake?

Fowlkes: I think it’s more a case of the media being the people who actually sit around and watch this stuff – all of it – and so who can’t help but notice when there’s a drop-off in quality. Especially when it’s your job and not something you can DVR and forget about, you’re more likely to get a little curmudgeonly when the UFC asks you to sit through five hours of fights (though half of that is commercials, plus interviews and promos, which are also basically commercials) and a lot of that includes fighters who seem not quite ready for Saturday night on FOX Sports 1.

I understand the need for growth. I also understand that women’s MMA is a few years (like, maybe 10) behind men’s. That’s cool. There’s a place for all that. I just have a hard time swallowing the company line when  White tells us that Ben Askren (I can’t believe I’m the one to bring him up this time) hasn’t fought anybody, but these other people who have accomplished far less are totally worth our time. I guess I want an empty term like “UFC-caliber” to be, you know, less empty. Is that me just being scornfully contrarian? I hope not. I hope it’s just me wanting to see good fights rather than ones the UFC thinks it can profit from the most.

Downes: Well that’s awfully nice of you to be worried about the UFC profit margin. I certainly understand why people are upset. The main event (even though it only went two-and-a-half minutes) showed the huge gap in talent. I hate to say it, but it appears that this drop-off in quality is going to be the new normal. Will this stall the UFC’s growth? Only time will tell. I watched the fights last night with a group of casual fans, and the pacing seemed to bother them more than the technical deficiencies. I can’t imagine that Mandalay Bay needs the extra concession stand revenue, but something needs to be done about the length of the cards.

I think the greatest worry from fans and media alike is that this new UFC era will be cheapened by all the changes. In baseball, there are different levels. From rookie ball to the major leagues, the quality of player is clearly demarcated. In the new UFC, there’s no such distinction. From “TUF” contestants to world champions, they’re all under the same banner, and that doesn’t feel right to many. I think the most telling event of last night’s finale was the post-fight press conference. The whole thing lasted about 15 minutes, and the level of disinterest from all parties involved was obvious. Everyone just appeared to be going through the motions. The UFC may be a global entity, but so is McDonald’s. We may eat at the Golden Arches, but few would consider it something special. Will the UFC become the fast food of MMA? There’s no way to tell right now, but if does, I’m probably going on a diet.

For complete coverage of the TUF 18 Finale, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

(Pictured: Ronda Rousey)