Can Cat Zingano really push Ronda Rousey to her limits?
That's the question being asked at UFC 184. The dominant champion will take on what appears to be her toughest test to date.
Thus far, the judoka has dominated the women's bantamweight division. Since its creation in the UFC, she has been the reigning champion, dispatching of all her opponents save one in the first round. Like Royce Gracie in the early UFC days, she's simply miles ahead of the competition.
But staring at her from across the cage Saturday might be a foe worthy of challenging the champion.
Zingano might not have the same name recognition or knack for fight promotion as her UFC 184 opponent, but she does have enough strength, heart and power to make things interesting. That's more than could be said for most of Rousey's opponents so far.
The women's title fight isn't the only bout on the card generating some interest. Here's a look at the entire card along with predictions for the biggest bouts on the card.
| UFC Fight Pass 7 p.m. ET | ||
| Matchup | Weight Class | Prediction |
| Masio Fullen vs. Alex Torres | Featherweight | Fullen by decision |
| James Krause vs. Valmir Lazaro | Lightweight | Krause by decision |
| Fox Sports 1 Prelims 8 p.m. ET | ||
| Matchup | Weight Class | Prediction |
| Derrick Lewis vs. Ruan Potts | Heavyweight | Lewis by TKO |
| Dhiego Lima vs. Tim Means | Welterweight | Lima by decision |
| Roman Salazar vs. Norifumi Yamamoto | Bantamweight | Salazar by TKO |
| Mark Munoz vs. Roan Carneiro | Middleweight | Carneiro by decision |
| Main Card 10 p.m. ET | ||
| Matchup | Weight Class | Prediction |
| Tony Ferguson vs. Gleison Tibau | Lightweight | Ferguson by decision |
| Alan Jouban vs. Richard Walsh | Welterweight | Jouban by TKO |
| Jake Ellenberger vs. Josh Koscheck | Welterweight | Koscheck by TKO |
| Raquel Pennington vs. Holly Holm | Women's Bantamweight | Holm by TKO |
| (c) Ronda Rousey vs. Cat Zingano | Women's Bantamweight Championship | Rousey by submission |
Card info via UFC; Predictions by Ballentine
Jake Ellenberger vs. Josh Koscheck
If this fight were happening in 2011, it would be a much bigger deal. In 2015, it's intrigue largely comes from which of these fighters really has anything left.
Both Koscheck and Ellenberger used to be legitimate contenders in the welterweight division. Now, they've combined to go 0-6 in their last six outings.
If the odds are to be believed, Ellenberger should win this fight. He's the younger of the two. He's 29, but there are plenty of fighters who fight well into their 30s. Add in the fact that "The Juggernaut's" losses have come against the current champion, the No. 2-ranked fighter in the division and up-and-coming Kelvin Gastelum, and it's easy to see why Odds Shark currently has him listed as a 10-19 favorite.
So why pick Koscheck?
Well, the 37-year-old is coming off a 15-month layoff, which the veteran has acknowledged was partially due to burnout.
"Quite a long time off," Koscheck said, via Anthony Galaviz of The Fresno Bee, "but I've been at this for quite a long time and I feel like I was in need of a break from this sport. ... I felt like I needed to step away after that last loss with Tyron and focus on me and improving my boxing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu and just improving as a mixed martial artist."
If that sounds familiar, it's because it's a similar refrain to the one 35-year-old Frank Mir sang before his recent bout with Antonio Silva. His layoff led to a rejuvenating first-round finish of "Bigfoot."
With Ellenberger just three months removed from being submitted in the first round by Gastelum, Koscheck's lengthy layoff might be just what the doctor ordered to get him back in the win column.
Holly Holm vs. Raquel Pennington
After months of waiting, accomplished boxer Holly Holm will finally make her UFC debut. The UFC couldn't have picked a better opponent to welcome her to the Octagon, either.
Raquel Pennington has some cache with casual fans thanks to her stint on The Ultimate Fighter. She also fights a relatively exciting style. Her 4.77 significant strikes landed per minute, according to FightMetric, would be indicative of a fighter who is willing to trade. Her 3.40 significant strikes absorbed is indicative of a fighter not all that willing to evade strikes.
In essence, she's the perfect fighter for Holm to show off those polished striking skills.
It should be noted that the UFC newcomer doesn't necessarily have exceptional power. Only nine of her 33 boxing victories came by way of knockout. Pennington's finished six of seven MMA fights but has never been knocked out.
Expect that toughness to allow Rocky to survive the early rounds, but Holm's ability to outstrike Pennington will eventually give way to a third-round finish.
Ronda Rousey vs. Cat Zingano
This fight could go one of two ways.
The first—which is the official prediction in this space—resembles most of Rousey's bouts, with the scowling judoka rushing across the Octagon, blitzkrieging her latest opponent, working her way to the mat and getting the tap within the first three minutes via that signature armbar.
Rousey's ability to execute that game plan, combined with Zingano's tendency to start slowly, sets up perfectly for that sequence of events to play out.
But should Zingano find a way to survive those early moments of the bout, things will get interesting.
The Alpha Cat's ability to mount a comeback after a slow start has been evident in her last two bouts. After being outstruck by both Miesha Tate and Amanda Nunes in the opening round, she came back and finished them in devastating fashion.
Looking at Rousey's body of work, she's only been beyond the first round one time in her career. Her rematch with Tate wasn't finished until the third round. If Zingano can get the fight to that point, she might be able to push the champion in ways we haven't seen.
Then again, Rousey still came out on top against her bitter rival. Even a five-round war with a worthy opponent might not be enough to stop Rowdy's title reign.
