Ronda Rousey and the state of women’s MMA riding high into UFC 184

By Case Keefer (contact)

Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015 | 2 a.m.

The experiment yielded exceptional results and turned into a full-time product.

Nearly two years ago to the day, Ronda Rousey made her UFC debut in her native Southern California hoping to prove women belonged on mixed martial arts' largest platform. The women’s bantamweight champion ditches the pressure of a trial run and trades Anaheim’s Honda Center for Los Angeles’ Staples Center, but otherwise is right back in a pay-per-view main event Saturday at UFC 184.

Female fighters are more fixtures than novelties on the anniversary of their arrival in the UFC.

“Women’s MMA is at a point now where you almost can’t ignore it, and I think that’s great,” fighter Holly Holm said on a conference call last week. “I think that’s what the athletes deserve.”

Before Rousey (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) attempts her fifth title defense against lethal Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu player Cat Zingano (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC), Holm (7-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) debuts against Raquel Pennington (5-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC).

It’s the first time the UFC has ever staged a card with a pair of women’s fights at the top, and comes three weeks before another milestone. New strawweight champion Carla Esparza (10-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) makes her maiden defense against Joanna Jedrzejczyk (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) in the co-main event of UFC 185 on March 14 in Dallas.

“Spending time developing the women’s 115-pound division would be the wisest investment of time,” Rousey said of continuing the growth of women’s mixed martial arts. “I would really like to see them develop the division to a point where they can headline their own card, and I think that’s entirely possible within the next year or two.”

The advent of a second women’s division wasn’t something UFC President Dana White would even consider when Rousey first burst onto the scene at UFC 157. His major focus was building a 135-pound division and finding opponents for Rousey, another challenge that’s likely gone smoother than expected.

In addition to the long-in-the-making bout with Zingano, Rousey still has potential opponents lining up. Holm and Cris “Cyborg” Justino, who fights the night before Rousey in Los Angeles on an Invicta card, are at the top of the list.

“We’ve already proved enough,” Zingano said. “Women’s MMA has come a really long way.”

Holm is another indicator. The 33-year-old might be fans’ most anticipated newcomer of the year.

Holm’s prolonged contract negotiations with the UFC produced much scrutiny, and an injury that forced her out of a scheduled debut in December was lamented. The attention has taken Holm, who never enjoyed the same fanfare during a storied championship boxing career, aback.

“I’m super blessed and super proud of everything that I got to experience in boxing, but it’s sad there isn’t enough following behind it,” Holm said. “If you’re a female boxer, you’re in it truly because you just love it.”

In addition to everything else, Rousey’s role as a forerunner has surpassed the UFC’s expectations from two years ago. She’s readily visible, expanding her ventures far beyond the cage.

Among Rousey’s projects in 2015 are an acting role in the “Entourage” movie and a modeling gig in Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue. And, just like the sport she helped solidify, she’s not going anywhere.

“When I try to set out to do things that people say are impossible, first they ask me why I do it,” Rousey said. “Then after I accomplish it, they ask me how I did it.”

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.