The year is 2015 and there is no bigger star in the sport of mixed martial arts than Ronda Rousey.
She has just defended her UFC Bantamweight title for a seventh time with her 12th finish in as many fights and she looks as close to unbeatable as we have ever seen in the sport.
In just over a year her career would finish in spectacular fashion with two brutal knock out losses where she looked completely at sea.
Just less than a decade after that loss to Amanda Nunes, the former champion returns to MMA but not in the UFC. Netflix will play host and use their platform to host a quality night of fights which includes former UFC drawcards Nate Diaz and Francis Ngannou among others.
We’ve offered our thoughts on the top three fights and have some betting plays to get around.
Ronda Rousey is almost entirely responsible for Women’s MMA in the UFC.
I know it’s a huge statement and one hard to fathom these days but UFC president Dana White was outspoken in his opinion that women should not be allowed to fight in the octagon in its early inception.
That was until he saw Rousey fight and he made her the very first women’s title fight in the promotion.
She won that fight against Meisha Tate in 2012 via first round submission and her first eight pro MMA fights by arm bar.
Her credentials in the Judo discipline not only won her a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, but gave her a massive edge over her opponents when women’s MMA was in its infancy.
Trip her opponent to the ground, grab and arm, and twist.
The blueprint was simple and it worked.
Couple her aggressive fighting style with natural good looks and an outspoken attitude and she quickly became the biggest star in the sport, turning around her boss’s attitude in no time.
But the path that she created for her female counterparts came back to bite her and the evolution of mixed martial arts waits for nobody.
It meant that more women got an opportunity and two very proficient and experienced athletes quickly rose to challenge.
The first was kickboxer Holly Holm who caused the biggest upset in UFC history at the time, in front of the biggest crowd ever in Melbourne, with one high kick that had Rousey wobbling all over the octagon.
The second was against a young lady by the name of Amanda Nunes who would go on to be the greatest female MMA fighter we have ever seen.
The second loss was hard to watch for Rousey fans as it was clearly evident that her Judo style would not hold up against legitimate strikers of which were becoming plentiful in the division.
So she quit the sport and sailed off into the sunset.
Until now.
But exactly who is she fighting in her return 10 years later?
Gina Carano is her name and she is 44 years of age.
She hasn’t fought in almost 17 years when she was knocked out in the first round by Cris Cyborg.
If Rousey was ever to comeback and earn a paycheck in this sport, it had to be against an opponent that was not up to scratch and she gets that.
Expect them to stand and pretend to box for a while to give the Netflix viewers some time to absorb it but Rousey will use her Judo to get her much older opponent to the ground and it wouldn’t surprise if she finishes the fight with her famous armbar.
Tips
Best: Ronda Rousey By Submission In Round 2 @ $6
Value: Rousey by Submission in Round 3 or 4 @ $10.50
This is actually a really fun fight between two very popular MMA stars.
Nate Diaz quickly rose out of his brother’s shadow early in his career after watching his brother fight at an elite level as a teenager.
He entered the UFC just before Ronda Rousey in 2007 after winning The Ultimate Fighter and won his first five fights including four by submission.
The Gracie BJJ black belt is a better fighter than his overall record of 21 wins and 13 losses reads on paper and his biggest win came against Conor McGregor in 2016.
Unfortunately we have seen him fight in the UFC only five times since then but he is a fan favourite for a reason and earns another pay day this weekend.
Incredibly only two of his losses have been by knockout, and one of those was a doctor’s stoppage, and his toughness is evident by the build up of scar tissue above both his eyes.
Mike Perry had a long and storied career in the UFC that didn’t rise to the heights of his opponent but he found his true calling since leaving the UFC.
Bare knuckle boxing.
He is as tough as they come and has a truly great boxing style that has held up under the extreme conditions of that particular promotion.
The fact that he is seven years younger than Diaz is a factor that should be considered and if he is able to keep this fight on the feet, he can cause enough damage where the fight will be called off.
Tip
Best: Mike Perry To Win By KO/TKO @ $3.00
Another former UFC fighter that had beef with his ex that is fighting on this card is Francis Ngannou.
The former UFC Heavyweight champion left the promotion at the top and had mixed success since leaving.
He signed a contract with PFL but had just a single fight, went to a decision with one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of this generation in Tyson Fury, and was knocked out cold by Anthony Joshua.
But with MMA gloves on, he is a dangerous, dangerous man who could beat any heavyweight competing in the sport today.
And he faces an opponent that is, in my opinion, not worthy.
Philipe Lins is a former PFL Heavyweight tournament winner who competed in Bellator for many years but he is now 40 years of age and has not competed for over two years.
He won his last four fights in the UFC, the latest being a decision win over Ion Cutelaba in March 2024.
Tip
Best: Francis Nagannou To Win By KO/TKO in Round 1 @ $1.80