For a main event that has its fighters participating in little to no media this week, the silence has somehow created even more of a buildup to Friday night's bout between Amanda Nunes and Ronda Rousey at UFC 205 in Las Vegas.
How pay-per-view sales will be affected by the lack of fighter promotion is unknown at this time, as is the mentality of the fighters who have only really been featured in the UFC's Embedded series this week.
The UFC brass is giving a hall pass to Rousey to forgo her media obligations and with that, Nunes isn't promoting the fight either. But it's a huge loss for not only the promotion, but for the reigning bantamweight champion Nunes, who is not being given equal opportunity to promote her brand.
I find it extremely bizarre that all these @UFC 207 promos only focus on Ronda and very little about the champion @Amanda_Leoa
— Joe Rogan (@joerogan) December 18, 2016
It's as if Rousey is still the undisputed champion and Nunes is a pawn in this masterplan to reinvent the former Olympian as the most dominant female fighter on the planet, with the exception of Cris Cyborg. Although there are some pundits, including a former opponent, who think that UFC 207 could be the beginning of Rousey's farewell tour.
.@MieshaTate: If Ronda Rousey loses, she's done. It's over. If she wins, we might see one more fight out of her. #UFC207 pic.twitter.com/LMNijhAB5C
— Speak For Yourself (@SFY) December 28, 2016
In any case, Friday night's main event will be one you don't want to miss. So before we get into any more analysis or hype surrounding the bout, let's take a look at the latest odds for each fighter, according to OddsShark.
| Fighter | Odds |
| Amanda Nunes | +110 |
| Ronda Rousey | -140 |
Odds Shark
Rousey is the favorite in this fight, but not by much. After all, she is coming off a 13-month hiatus from the sport after a devastating knockout loss to Holly Holm, and no one, not even Rousey herself, knows where her mind will be when she enters the Octagon on Friday.
Furthermore, she's fighting a dangerous striker in Nunes who is coming looking to defend her title for the first time after her TKO finish over Miesha Tate at UFC 200.
"Since I got in the UFC I've been training for Ronda Rousey." @Amanda_Leoa #UFC207 pic.twitter.com/OXibo0tl8I
— #UFC207 (@ufc) December 23, 2016
With five finishes in her last six wins, Nunes cannot be overlooked as a stepping stone for Rousey's return. Since Rousey took 13 months off, the women's 135-pound division has improved dramatically and the belt has been changing hands like a fierce game of hot potato.
There is no turning back for Rousey in this fight, however. The UFC and Dana White have done everything possible to make Rousey comfortable from allowing her to take time off and not attend any fight-week media since she lost her belt last November.
We all know how devastated she was after the loss to Holm, and understandably so. But what if Rousey loses again? Where does she go from here when she has already hit rock bottom?
But to be fair, it looks as if Rousey has been taking her training seriously this time around, and looks to be in the best physical shape of her career.
Being in great physical shape isn't the problem for Rousey, however. The biggest question mark surrounding this fight is if she is mentally ready to become a champion again.
And she's going to need every ounce of mental fortitude she has in order to beat someone as tenacious as Nunes.
Prediction
I'm already on record picking Nunes to defend her title against Rousey, and I'm sticking with it even though Rousey was and always will be recognized as the best female fighter the UFC has ever had.
Rousey's loss to Holm was the first time in her UFC career that she was challenged by an opponent and backed up against the cage. She was manhandle by a skilled striker who was precise with her kicks and counter-punches and Nunes possesses similar traits to Holm, albeit she is shorter and not as powerful with her kicks.
Nunes will defend her title for the first time against the company's greatest champion on Friday night by stopping the fight with a barrage of punches that will force the referee to intervene. Rousey, without a doubt, will come out of her corner faster than Mike Goldberg can say "here we go!" to begin his fight commentary, and that's where Nunes will find her rhythm.
Rousey will be too anxious and overly aggressive while Nunes will remain calm and pick her shots, eventually landing a combination that will rattle Rousey and force her to respect the reach and timing advantage that Nunes will have as long as the fight doesn't go to the ground.
While Nunes does appear to gas out and breathe heavily during the end of the second and third rounds, I envision that cardio was a major part of her training for this fight and will be able to outlast Rousey into the third round en route to her seventh straight victory in the UFC.
As for Rousey, it will be another soul-searching experience for her even though I feel that despite losing, she will redeem herself to her fans and the fight game with her performance and focus leading up to the fight.
Will this be the last time we ever see Rousey fight? It very well may be.
