Fans waited late into the night to see UFC star Ronda Rousey pummeled Brazilian opponent Bethe C0rreia and knocked her out in 34 seconds in the highly-anticipated UFC 190 title fight, at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. Her three previous title defenses were over in a combined 96 seconds. Rousey holds the UFC record for quickest finish in a title fight, at 14 seconds. All but one of her professional bouts have ended in the first round.
“Instead of forcing a clinch, I planned to overwhelm her striking first so she would want to clinch,” Rousey said after the fight. “And that’s exactly what happened.
“I thought it started out well,” Correia said. “I think she felt my strikes. She tried to grab me. I defended takedowns. Those things happen. Her hands landed. That’s her merit. I fell but I thought I was doing the right game, which was to attack, counter attack, defend takedowns and hit her. In that moment, I slipped. I got up. She connected a good punch. That’s it. That’s fighting.”
Up next for Rousey may be a third fight with Miesha Tate (17-5), the only Rousey opponent to make it out of the first round. Tate and Rousey have met twice before, once for the Strikeforce title in March 2012. Rousey finished both fights via armbar.
Pehaps a better opponent might be Invicta FC featherweight champion Cris “Cyborg” Justino, whose current contract with the all-female fight promotion would allow her to appear in the UFC against Rousey.
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