Jon Anik and Kenny Florian have weighed in on how Ronda Rousey would fare in today’s UFC women’s bantamweight division after her quick win over Gina Carano.
Rousey defeated Carano in just 17 seconds by armbar submission in the MVP MMA 1 headliner at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., a result that sparked the discussion on the Anik & Florian Podcast.
"Can't Ronda Rousey get takedowns against a high-level, modern-day fighter and get to a place where she can grab an arm or a neck?" Anik said, adding, "I mean, am I crazy? Because a lot of people think they'd be favored to beat Ronda Rousey right now."
Florian agreed Rousey could still hang with today’s contenders, but drew a line at title expectations. "I think she still would be competitive," he said. "Would she be a champion in that weight class? I think that would be really difficult. The game has evolved a tremendous amount. But at the same time you're talking about a world-class athlete, but also you're going against time. … I don't think we're gonna see her again."
Anik also floated a potential featherweight matchup. "Who knows? Maybe at (145 pounds) she comes back in a superfight against somebody like Holly Holm, who certainly is ageless," he said, while clarifying, "Not to suggest that she'd be ready for Kayla Harrison or Amanda Nunes, but I am wildly curious to see how she would do against some of those other fighters."
Rousey has said the Carano fight gave her closure to walk away from MMA and has spoken about wanting more children.
