Trading Shots: Who cares if Rousey wouldn’t shake Tate’s hand, anyway?

In this installment of Trading Shots, MMAjunkie columnist Ben Fowlkes and former UFC and WEC fighter Danny Downes take a hard look at Ronda Rousey‘s conduct and relationship with the fans. In part because they can’t stand to even think about Anderson Silva’s broken leg anymore.

Fowlkes: Danny, let’s talk about Ronda Rousey. She got booed all week in Las Vegas, then got booed even worse after refusing to shake Miesha Tate‘s hand following her submission win in Saturday’s UFC 168 co-headliner. Seems to me that’s a strange thing for fans to get hung up on in a grudge match deal like this one. So it’s cool to bend someone’s arm like a twist-tie, but only if you consent to squeeze her hand and make the requisite pumping motion afterward? I don’t totally get that. What say you? Is there a special place in MMA hell for fighters who won’t shake the hand of a vanquished foe?

Downes: As far as MMA faux pas are concerned, ignoring the post-fight handshake is one of the bigger ones. Sure, it’s just pro forma nonsense for the most part, but it’s something you have to do. It’s like pretending that you’ll pay the check when you go out to dinner with your in-laws. There’s no way I’m actually laying my credit card down, but I still have to pretend to make an effort.

The crowd definitely seemed upset about the no-shake, and that made Rousey’s fall from grace even more apparent. Regardless of what you think about the move, you have to admit that it was a pleasant change of pace. How often do we see fights with intense, personal rivalries, and then they just hug it out when it’s all over? You could call her rude or tactless, but at least Rousey is consistent.

At the same time, though, you have to wonder how much of this is an act. Not in the sense that she’s faking her animosity toward Tate (that seems genuine), but Rousey knows how to manipulate a crowd. In the post-fight press conference, she made a tenuous comparison to the movie “The Dark Knight,” saying that she’s the champion that we need right now, and subtly hinting that she may be martyring her own popularity for the good of the division. In pro wrestling parlance, they talk about heels needing to generate heat, and it’s hard to imagine someone as hot as Rousey right now. Having said that, has she gone past the point of no return? The UFC sold us Tate/Rousey II because of “The Ultimate Fighter” and extreme personal dislike. With her next fight against Sara McMann already booked for February, has Rousey hit the point of no return? Has she resigned herself to a Josh Koscheck-like existence where she’ll always be the bad guy?

Fowlkes: Against McMann, probably, yeah. But I don’t know about always. If there’s one thing I know about MMA fans, it’s that they love T-shirts with skulls and chains and crap like that. But if there are two things I know, it’s that they have short memories. Today’s villain is tomorrow’s hero, and vice versa.

But I was also intrigued by Rousey’s remark about accepting her role and being the champ we need. Not only did it set Batman nerds off on a bitter argument about whether she said Scarface when she meant Two-Face, but it also gives us a little insight into how Rousey sees herself. Remember when she burst on the scene for that first Strikeforce fight with Tate, and the big shock was that suddenly here was a female fighter who wasn’t adopting the glad-to-be-here, we’re-all-in-this-together mentality? Other fighters claimed she jumped the line and hadn’t paid her dues, both of which might have been true, but she brought some energy and animosity that women’s MMA has lacked over the years, and clearly the entire division benefited from it.

In the rematch with Tate she was content to play the bad girl, and it effectively made a plan B rematch seem like a can’t-miss fight. The energy in MGM Grand Garden Arena for that bout was like nothing I’d ever experienced for a women’s MMA fight, and was right up there with the response to the Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman headliner. I have to think that Rousey’s willingness to take the boos with the cheers made that possible. What I wonder is, can she continue playing the keeping-it-real card if she also makes these cryptic post-fight remarks about accepting a role? If you’re playing a role, you’re not exactly keeping it real. And if you keep talking about the role you’re playing, you’re not playing it all that convincingly, are you?

Downes: Getting philosophical aren’t we? Is the third thing you know about MMA fans that they like French existentialism? I suppose it’s not an either/or type of question. Maybe she just doesn’t play the classic PR campaign game because it wouldn’t be best for business. Regardless of her motivations or authenticity, it’ll be interesting to see if she can keep the momentum going. The other comment of note from the press conference was how she revealed that she’s already bored with the profession. According to her, she’s been making fight camps purposely more difficult to maintain her enthusiasm.

No matter how many fights Rousey decides she has left, can the women’s bantamweight division thrive without her? In the beginning, it was derisively referred to as the Rousey division, and while that may no longer apply, she’s still a big factor. As much as we enjoy WMMA, Rousey is the only true star. Yes, this past season of “TUF” helped and another is on the way, but will that be enough? No fighter is more important than an entire division (we’ll have to get used to life without GSP and Silva), but Rousey’s presence is far more important than any other champion’s. Whether she’s putting an an act or not, how vital is Rousey to WMMA’s growth?

Fowlkes: The third thing I know is that MMA fans definitely do not like French existentialism, probably because they’re too busy retweeting Friedrich Nietzsche quotes to read any of it. But I see what you’re saying about Rousey’s importance to the division, which it seems like we’ve been talking about since she got here. Maybe we were all more wounded than we’d like to admit when Gina Carano bolted on us, but does it not seem weird that the first thing we think when there’s a female superstar in this sport is, what will we be left with when she runs off? I get it, she’s the main attraction for WMMA in the UFC. But do we have so little faith in everyone else?

To me, that seems like one of the great, unappreciated contributions Rousey is making, is her ability to lead by example. She’s shown a lot of other female fighters that the important thing is for people to care – not for them to like some carefully crafted image you want to project. The boos in the arena on Saturday proved people definitely care about Rousey, and I have to think that other female fighters will learn from that. So who cares if she doesn’t want to shake hands? At least as long as she’s showing her peers how to cash checks.

Downes: I agree that boos or cheers have no value in and of themselves. The source of those boos, however, are important. The crowd didn’t hate Rousey because she wouldn’t stand there and bang. We could argue the merits of sportsmanship in a sport predicated upon beating another human being to unconsciousness, but I think everyone agrees that we need it. What does that look like? I have no idea.

What I do know is that MMA is a sport that relies on individuals. No matter how good the product is inside the cage, fans want to have an emotional connection with a fighter. Rousey has found that sweet spot. She elicits strong feelings (both positive and negative), and has built a strong career in the process. The men’s welterweight division will be just fine without GSP. Once the shock of Silva’s injury wears off, everyone will get excited for Vitor Belfort vs. Weidman. I don’t think you could make the same guarantees with the women’s bantamweight division. Like her or not, if Rousey comes out tomorrow and promises to stick around a few extra years, I think we’d all shake her hand.

For complete coverage of UFC 168, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

Ben Fowlkes is MMAjunkie and USA TODAY’s MMA columnist. Danny Downes, a retired UFC and WEC fighter, is an MMAjunkie contributor who also writes for UFC.com and UFC 360. Follow them on twitter at @benfowlkesMMA and @dannyboydownes.