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World reacts to Ronda Rousey’s ridiculous win

RONDA Rousey’s unbelievable UFC title defence was complete before viewers around the planet could process what it just witnessed.

STAFF WRITERS and AP
2 min read
March 2, 2015 - 1:02PM
Ronda Rousey
Ronda Rousey

RONDA Rousey has stopped every opponent she has faced in her meteoric mixed martial arts career, so a first-round victory is no shock for the UFC’s bantamweight champion.

Except nobody had finished a UFC title fight this quickly, and hardly anyone had ever done it with so much flair.

Rousey stopped Cat Zingano with an acrobatic armbar after just 14 seconds, dramatically defending her 135-pound title at UFC 184 on Sunday (AEDT).

Rousey’s fifth title defence was complete before the sellout Staples Center crowd in Los Angeles could process what it just witnessed. Those 14 seconds were action-packed, and Rousey delivered again.

This is how the world reacted.

Ronda Rousey cements her legendary status.
Ronda Rousey cements her legendary status.

THE CHAMP

ROUSEY herself wasn’t surprised by the opening charge: She suspected Zingano might try to catch her unprepared. Rousey didn’t expect to get turned upside-down, but when it happened, the Olympic medal-winning judoka relied on instinct.

“I made that up on the fly, to be honest,” Rousey said. “But it was kind of funny: We were going toward the ground, and I kind of reverted back to judo mode and was thinking, ‘Don’t touch your back. It’s a point.’ That’s where the acrobatic thing came from, was thinking about not touching your back in judo.

“I made that up on the fly, to be honest.”

Watch Ronda Rousey’s unbelievable title defence in the video player above

THE OPPONENT

ZINGANO was considered the most daunting active threat to Rousey’s reign, but was obliterated.

She chose the dubious strategy of charging and grabbing onto Rousey, whose judo skills make her practically unbeatable in a clinch.

Zingano, however, said she’d like another shot.

“She’s really good ... but that wouldn’t happen again,” Zingano said. “It was a knee and then a throw and then a scramble, and then she was wrapped around my arm. I got caught. I was ready to do a million different things. I planned on getting in a fistfight tonight.”

THE BOSS

“THERE’S very few situations where a fight goes 14 seconds and the crowd is cheering and going crazy and looking at each other with their mouths open,” UFC President Dana White said.

White also revealed Rousey’s immediate plans were not centred around the Octagon, telling FOX Sports’ Damon Martin that a movie role was next on the agenda.

THE STATS GUYS

ROUSEY (11-0) earned the most impressive victory of her career with jaw-dropping speed.

She was so fast in fact, it smashed records.

Rousey’s last three fights have lasted a total of 96 seconds, including two bouts against previously unbeaten opponents. Her 14-second finish was a record for any UFC title bout.

THE FANS

UNDERSTANDABLY, they were blown away.

THE LEGEND

WOMEN’S MMA fighting pioneer Gina Carano described Rousey’s victory as “f**#%^ beautiful” but said she was looking forward to Zingano coming back from the loss.

“Can’t wait to see @CatZingano back in the cage. True warrior,” Carano tweeted.

Originally published as World reacts to Ronda Rousey’s ridiculous win

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