White: Rousey vs. Davis was most dominant title defense ever

Saturday night in the co-main event of UFC 175, women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey fought the #2 contender in the division, Alexis Davis. The first BJJ black belt Rousey had ever faced, with an impressive stand up game, many hoped to see Rousey in deep waters.

It was over in 16 seconds, with Davis unable even to realize she had lost, clinging first to Rousey and then to the referee. And the fans that had booed her TUF following fight this time offered wild cheers.

UFC president Dana White appeared on FOX Sports post fight, and made a declaration.

It was the second fastest, but the things that happened during the fight make it the most dominant title defense ever,” said White. “Alexis has twice as many fights as Ronda, is legit and she was destroyed. Ronda texted me and told me she’s going to blow me away tonight. She keeps getting better and better.

At the post fight press conference, White was even more effusive.

I think she’s important to women’s sport, period, said White as transcribed by MMAJunkie. I think she’s such a big game-changer for women, period – women in general in life and everything. Ronda Rousey is a game-changer.

It was just so explosive and crazy and fast and just, you know, she’s unbelievable. She’s a huge superstar, she’s one of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the world, and she’s the most unique athlete that I’ve ever worked with in my whole life in every sense of the word.

When you look at the NBA, women play basketball, but everybody s—s on it like, ‘Ah, it’s women’s basketball; it’s terrible.’ This is a chick that could leave this building, walk down the Las Vegas Strip and wreck every guy on the Las Vegas Strip. There’s never been a women in the history of the world that could do that.

Even back in the day when you had good boxers and everyone was all crazy about Lucia Rijker, you know Lucia Rijker was a women that had to go in there and trade with a man, trade punches with a man. Ronda Rousey might get past a couple of your punches, but once she grabs on to you – I don’t care how big you are, how strong you are – she’s going to drop you on your head.

Ronda Rousey is a f—ing mega-star. People can rip on her and say whatever they want, but the girl is a rockstar in every sense of the word.

So what’s next?

The #1 contender, Cat Zingano, is coming off a long layoff due to knee surgery and family issues. However, Rousey is already a ferociously dominant champion, and she is improving at a rapid pace.

Many fans feel the only challenger with a good shot at unseating the champion is Cris Justino, if she can make 135.

When Justino came off her suspension for PEDs, her former manager Tito Ortiz described making 135 as life threatening, or leaving her infertile.

White offered to secure the services of diet guru Mike Dolce to help with the cut.

“She can get to this weight,” said White at the time. “We have an expert who can help you lose weight in a healthy way. We have Mike Dolce, who has wrestlers lose weight and still feel good and it’s all about your diet. He is 100 percent ready to work with her and will not cost anything to Cris…. If she wants to fight in the UFC, she’ll have to fight this category of 135 pounds. The stupidest thing about it is that she has Tito Ortiz as his manager.”

Tito is gone, and the life threatening talk with him.

In Feb, Justino announced plans to drop to 135 for just three fights. She said she hoped to fight for the Invicta 135 title this summer, then beat Rousey, then beat Rousey again, and then leave, presumably returning to 145.

“I plan to challenge and win the Invicta 135 Championship in the summer and challenge you, champion to champion, for your 135 belt in December,” said Justino in a statement. “Now I know critics will say ‘I thought you said you would die if you made 135.’ All I’m promising is that I will give 100 percent to try to get to 135 to make this plan happen. If I do, I will still listen to my doctor’s advice and fight no more than three times at 135: first to win the Invicta belt, the second time to kick your ass and the third time to kick your ass again so that the world can see it wasn’t luck. You can even have me tested every week up to the fight. That way you will not have an excuse after I kick your ass.

It is not clear why the UFC would want to bring someone in to win a title, defend it once, and then leave. At the UFC 175 post-fight media scrum, White was asked about signing Justino.

You guys want me to sign her, is that what you’re saying? said White as transcribed by 5thRound. So you guys, the media, are telling me I should sign Cyborg? Anybody here think I should not sign her? (Only one person in about 20 was against it).

I just don’t want to hear your bulls— if I do, because this s— is gonna flip as soon as I sign her – about drug testing and all that other s—. Oh, that’s gonna be the biggest topic. It’s gonna be the biggest story to write on, whether she (is on PEDs). Oh my f—ing God. The script will f—ing flip immediately.

Just so you know, when we bought Strikeforce, we offered [Cyborg’s representatives] the exact same deal that we offered Ronda, and they turned it down. They turned their deal down. That’s what happened when we tried to sign her.