Ronda looking beefy (pic)

[Leigh]

That's not true. When the UFC acquired strikeforce in 2011 they decided to keep the women's 135 lb division and scrap the 145 lb division. They told Cyborg they wanted to do away with her division because it lacked enough talent and enough fights to keep her busy. They asked her to drop down to 135 lbs and she agreed it was in her best interest to do so and said she would try her best. So to make a long story short, they didn't create a new division for Ronda. The division already existed and Ronda was already the champion.

Dana White's about-face on women's MMA became official one historic night last August - Yahoo Sports

"White promises it's part of a long-term investment in women's MMA. It's the UFC trying to use the star power of Rousey to build entire weight classes, an entire sport nearly from scratch."

Dana White: Ronda Rousey Converted Me to Women's MMA - Breitbart

"Ronda Rousey obviously converted me,” the showman White said backstage in his element at an old vaudeville theater in Boston. “She’s the reason that I said yes.”

He built a 135lb women's division around Ronda.

 

[Narcosynthesis]

Dana White's about-face on women's MMA became official one historic night last August - Yahoo Sports

"White promises it's part of a long-term investment in women's MMA. It's the UFC trying to use the star power of Rousey to build entire weight classes, an entire sport nearly from scratch."

Dana White: Ronda Rousey Converted Me to Women's MMA - Breitbart

"Ronda Rousey obviously converted me,” the showman White said backstage in his element at an old vaudeville theater in Boston. “She’s the reason that I said yes.”

He built a 135lb women's division around Ronda.

The below quote was before Cyborg's steroid bust and before Ronda won the 135 lb title. The UFC didn't create anything for Ronda. It already existed. They already had the division, the fighters under contract and the intention to keep the more competitive division before Ronda ever won the title. Note the posted date of the article (11/22/2011) Ronda didn't win the title until 3/3/2012. At first you said they created the division for her. Now you say they built it around her. They did neither. They had plans to go on with the 135 lb women's division with or without Ronda as champion.

“I signed the contract for these four fights after UFC purchased Strikeforce, so I guess they’ll keep us, they’ll keep the female divisions and female MMA keeps growing and growing, and I guess they’re keeping the girls and it depends on what we do to call UFC’s attention,” Santos explains. “[As of right now there] are still two weight divisions: 135lbs and 145lbs. It’s already hard for me to drop to 145lbs, I gotta work a lot and they’re thinking about one division only. They asked me if I could do it. I can try; it’s not impossible. Let’s see… I guess that in the future there’ll be some news,” she predicts. “It’ll be hard because I got a lot of weight to lose, but it’d be good because I could fight more. I guess it’s important to keep active, it’s my job, so I’ll try it to stay here.” - Cris Cyborg, 11/22/2011

Cris 'Cyborg' Says Strikeforce Wants Her to Drop to 135 Because They Can't Find Anyone to Fight Her - Cagepotato

 

[Leigh]

The below quote was before Cyborg's steroid bust and before Ronda won the 135 lb title. The UFC didn't create anything for Ronda. It already existed. They already had the division, the fighters under contract and the intention to keep the more competitive division before Ronda ever won the title. Note the posted date of the article (11/22/2011) Ronda didn't win the title until 3/3/2012. At first you said they created the division for her. Now you say they built it around her. They did neither. They had plans to go on with the 135 lb women's division with or without Ronda as champion.



UFC purchases Strikeforce; UFC boss says organizations to operate independently | MMAjunkie

Incorrect. The UFC acquired the Strikeforce contracts and used them to create their own UFC divisions. They scrapped the 145 division and would have scrapped women altogether if not for Dana's admiration for Ronda. Because of Ronda, the UFC created a 135lb women's division and populated it with fighters under contract to Strikeforce.

 

[Pitbull9]

Gross

 

[Narcosynthesis]

Incorrect. The UFC acquired the Strikeforce contracts and used them to create their own UFC divisions. They scrapped the 145 division and would have scrapped women altogether if not for Dana's admiration for Ronda. Because of Ronda, the UFC created a 135lb women's division and populated it with fighters under contract to Strikeforce.

So they created something that already existed. Interesting. What they did was slap their banner on something they bought a year prior and called it their own.

According to Cyborg, The UFC asked her to cut down to 135 lbs months before Ronda won the title because they only wanted to keep one division. I don't know how much more clear cut it can get than that. How could they be "creating a division" for a fighter that didn't even have a title yet and was in the process of moving down a weight class? It makes no sense. Ronda could have lost to Tate, then what? Or lost to Kaufman. Or lost to Cyborg after she came back from her suspension when Cyborg was still under contract and they were still trying to get her to drop 10 lbs. Unless Dana is a script writer on par with wwe there's no way he could have saw Ronda having this much success.

The more believable scenario is the UFC wanted to keep the 135 lb division and many of the fighters under contract just like Cyborg said because they figured they could market it somehow, even if it was used as a sideshow attraction like strikeforce did. Now that Ronda has gone on to major success and become a mainstream personality Dana wants to let everyone know how he alone was the one who recognized her potential.

Also I put the wrong link in the post you quoted but corrected it. I find that Cyborg quote very fascinating.

 

[Pitbull9]

^our first UFC shill lol jk

 

[dacofty]

^our first UFC shill lol jk

It's almost as bad as those at the other site, here you have a professional female fighter that knows what she's talking about and then you have this other one. LOL female fighter 1 other guy 0. Yes the division was created for rousey. That's old news.

 

[Narcosynthesis]

It's almost as bad as those at the other site, here you have a professional female fighter that knows what she's talking about and then you have this other one. LOL female fighter 1 other guy 0. Yes the division was created for rousey. That's old news.

I provided links to the words of a fighter that knows first hand how the situation went down. Cyborg said the UFC told her they wanted to keep the 135 lb division. So please explain what they were creating? They kept what was there. If that's not a good enough source, that's your problem. There's no discussion because your opinion is if it's Ronda related, it sucks. If it's UFC related, it sucks. If it's Conor related, it sucks. If that's the way you want to present yourself that's fine. I'll just test out this ignore button.

 

[Wild]

Dana White: “Ronda Rousey is What It Took to Get Women in the UFC” | MMAWeekly.com

 

[Left Hook Larry]

I provided links to the words of a fighter that knows first hand how the situation went down. Cyborg said the UFC told her they wanted to keep the 135 lb division. So please explain what they were creating? They kept what was there. If that's not a good enough source, that's your problem. There's no discussion because your opinion is if it's Ronda related, it sucks. If it's UFC related, it sucks. If it's Conor related, it sucks. If that's the way you want to present yourself that's fine. I'll just test out this ignore button.

Yea not liking this whole he's a shill kind of thing. All your arguments are supported with evidence. Seems like everywhere on this forum its UFC sucks when we all know damn well they're the most exciting promotion currently and we'll be tuning in on July 11th. They have problems of course like low balling fighters but I think they get too much hate here.

 

[Wild]

Yea not liking this whole he's a shill kind of thing. All your arguments are supported with evidence. Seems like everywhere on this forum its UFC sucks when we all know damn well they're the most exciting promotion currently and we'll be tuning in on July 11th. They have problems of course like low balling fighters but I think they get too much hate here.

I'll definitely be watching. I think tensions are just running high on Zuffa right now because of the Reebok deal & the way the Aldo situation was handled...and those two topics have been the two biggest MMA headlines for 2 weeks now. UFC 189 should get people refocused on whats positive about the UFC...and that is the fighters putting on great fights.

 

[BJTT-Rizzo]

Seems like everywhere on this forum its UFC sucks when we all know damn well they're the most exciting promotion currently and we'll be tuning in on July 11th. They have problems of course like low balling fighters but I think they get too much hate here

I have noticed this trend too. But its usually a couple of posters leading the charge. I just shake my head at them. It's to the point where they look like they are selling their bullshit. We know who they are. This site is still the best out there regardless.

 

[BJTT-Rizzo]

I lol'd at a observation about Round's midsection and lack of curves around her waist line at another site. When compared to other women, the guy said it looks like she swallowed a 80s type Vcr and it stayed there. That's a terrible thing to say, but it cracked me up.

 

[Leigh]

So they created something that already existed. Interesting. What they did was slap their banner on something they bought a year prior and called it their own.

According to Cyborg, The UFC asked her to cut down to 135 lbs months before Ronda won the title because they only wanted to keep one division. I don't know how much more clear cut it can get than that. How could they be "creating a division" for a fighter that didn't even have a title yet and was in the process of moving down a weight class? It makes no sense. Ronda could have lost to Tate, then what? Or lost to Kaufman. Or lost to Cyborg after she came back from her suspension when Cyborg was still under contract and they were still trying to get her to drop 10 lbs. Unless Dana is a script writer on par with wwe there's no way he could have saw Ronda having this much success.

The more believable scenario is the UFC wanted to keep the 135 lb division and many of the fighters under contract just like Cyborg said because they figured they could market it somehow, even if it was used as a sideshow attraction like strikeforce did. Now that Ronda has gone on to major success and become a mainstream personality Dana wants to let everyone know how he alone was the one who recognized her potential.

Also I put the wrong link in the post you quoted but corrected it. I find that Cyborg quote very fascinating.

A year before the UFC brought women in, Dana was saying women would NEVER fight in the UFC. If not for Ronda, they would have scrapped the division, just like they did with 145. The UFC 135 division DIDN'T EXIST. So yes, they created it. Strikeforce 135 =/= UFC 135, otherwise you're saying that UFC also had a 145 division, because that also existed in Strikeforce. Following your logic, Cyborg can claim to be former UFC 145 champion before they scrapped the division.

I've posted links quoting Dana saying that Ronda is the only reason women are in the UFC. I don't know how much clearer that can be.

 

[dacofty]

I'll definitely be watching. I think tensions are just running high on Zuffa right now because of the Reebok deal & the way the Aldo situation was handled...and those two topics have been the two biggest MMA headlines for 2 weeks now. UFC 189 should get people refocused on whats positive about the UFC...and that is the fighters putting on great fights.

I saw a commerical on Dish tonight that was all about Lawlor and McDonald so I think the UFC has decided run a few not showcasing the main event with is great.

 

[Pappy Knuckles]

Thicker than a bowl of oatmeal.