Heading into UFC 170, Sara McMann is unfazed by the credentials of her opponent, UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda RouseyOn February 22, Ronda Rousey will put her UFC women’s bantamweight title on the line against No. 4 ranked contender Sara McMann. The UFC has its pick of storylines to promote this matchup, the main event of UFC 170.
Both fighters will enter the Octagon with perfect records; Rousey is 8-0 while McMann is 7-0. Both fighters are Olympic medal winners. Rousey won bronze in judo in 2008. McMann took home silver in 2004 in freestyle wrestling. It will also be the first time in UFC history where two Olympians have met in the cage.
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All of Rousey’s wins have come via armbar submission. Only one of those fights, her most recent title defense against Miesha Tate at UFC 168, went past the first round. Three of McMann’s fights have ended by submission, three by decision and one by knockout. That knockout came in her last fight. Making her UFC debut at UFC 159, McMann stopped Sheila Gaff in the first round.
The oddsmakers don’t believe that McMann has much of a chance against Rousey. Bovada has Rousey a -450 favorite over the +325 McMann.
If you think McMann is sweating any of Rousey’s past accomplishments, you would be wrong. As the 33-year-old McMann explained to Inside MMA, “She’s just another opponent. After you’ve competed for 19 years, it’s pretty hard to make anything the pinnacle. I look at it the same way, and I think that’s to my benefit. That I just go out there and train hard and treat her like an opponent with skills in this area, and deficits in this area, and just go out there and fight.”
UFC 170 will take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV. On another interesting note, Daniel Cormier, who will face Rashad Evans in the co-main event of the evening is also an Olympic athlete. Cormier represented the U.S. on two occasions, competing in freestyle wrestling.
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