Throw away your stupid pound-for-pound rankings and flush the stinking all-time great debate down the toilet. The greatest fighter of all time is a woman, not a man, and her name is Ronda Rousey, according to Ronda Rousey.
The reigning UFC women’s bantamweight champ has looked relatively unbeatable in the UFC, tossing grown women around like babies and ripping arms from torsos. It’s like a McDonald’s drive-thru in the division.
Rousey has competed 10 times professionally, and all of those fights combined have ended in less than 25 minutes. Without Miesha Tate included, the combined total is eight minutes.
Take a moment and let that stat sink in.
Rousey is set to headline UFC 184 on Saturday night against undefeated contender Cat Zingano, who could ultimately prove to be the champ’s stiffest test. During an appearance on Fox Sports’ American Pregame, Rousey was complimentary of her opponent but supremely confident in her ability to ruin another perfect record:
I think it’s personality that really sets the great fighters apart, and I do believe that Cat is one of those great fighters. It’s just that I’m the greatest fighter of all time, and it’s bad timing for her.
There are a plethora of other names that initially come to mind when pondering the list of all-time greats. Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, Fedor Emelianenko and Jose Aldo are all candidates in the unending debate.
Not to mention, Rousey only has four UFC title defenses. Quality of opposition is another crucial aspect to a champion’s resume. Even on paper, it’s tough to make a legitimate case for Rousey being the greatest of all time.
But then again, Muhammad Ali claimed he was the greatest before he actually inherited the title.
Jordy McElroy is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA writer for Rocktagon and FanRag Sports.
