By Kiran Damodaran ’17, Sports Editor

Cat Zingano’s fight against top-ranked UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey was supposed to be her fifteen seconds of fame – a nationally televised, highly anticipated bout between the champion, Rousey, and her greatest challenger. Except Rousey didn’t give her the full fifteen seconds. In a record-shattering fourteen seconds, Rousey forced Zingano, the second-ranked UFC bantamweight fighter, into submission. That’s less time than it takes the average American to tie their shoes. At this point, it’s safe to say that the 27-year-old Rousey, who owns an 11-0 record, is a dominant force in MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) fighting. She was the first female fighter to sign with the UFC and is the four-time defending bantamweight (125-135lbs) champion in the league. Additionally, her efforts earned her the first Olympic medal for an American woman and the consensus #1 pound-for-pound ranking in women’s MMA fighting.

Ronda Rousey has lifted women’s MMA fighting to a whole new level with both her physical ability and attitude. By setting records and introducing trash talking to fights, she has drawn much more media attention to the sport. Dana White, president of UFC, hailed Rousey as “the female version” of the infamous boxer Mike Tyson, arguing her reign over the competition was without precedent (Dana White on Ronda Rousey). Her utter dominance, as she subdued her closest opponent in record time, has raised a controversial question: should Ronda Rousey fight a man? Although this type of fight is extremely unlikely, the question sparked a significant discussion on Rousey’s unmatched ability and how it would translate against men.

The debate began after her dismantling of Cat Zingano, as Joe Rogan, a UFC announcer, argued that Rousey “might be able to beat 50 percent of [men]” and fellow announcer, Bruce Buffer, supported the statement (Joe Rogan, Bruce Buffer on Ronda Rousey). The assertion angered some male MMA fighters, who responded harshly, and in some cases, with misogynistic comments. At the forefront was Ian McCall, a flyweight (115-125lbs) male UFC fighter who claimed the idea of Rousey fighting a man “was just silly.” When asked about it in an interview, McCall said, “She’s the best woman on the planet. That’s cute. Cool. We’re doing men things. Different.” (Ian McCall on Ronda Rousey) This dismissive attitude was echoed by fellow UFC fighter Mark Bocek who added that training with a woman “feels like wrestling with a 12 year old.” (Mark Bocek on Ronda Rousey)

Outside of the shortsighted opinions of a select few, however, the general response from male fighters has been overwhelmingly positive. UFC fighter Brendan Schaub defended Rousey against McCall’s comments, saying that, “Ronda would rag-doll him around the gym.” (Brendan Schaub on Ronda Rousey) The growth of women’s MMA fighting, pioneered by Rousey, has yielded some bitter, defensive arguments from the male side. Mark Coleman, former UFC heavyweight champion, echoed the sentiment of the majority of male UFC fighters, however, when he said, “they’re highly skilled athletes and they deserve to be in there, and I’m glad they are in there.” (Mark Coleman on Ronda Rousey)

Although it hasn’t halted the discussion, Rousey herself recently put rumors to rest that she would fight a man. With the rise of domestic violence issues in sports, such as football, Rousey told ESPN, “I don’t think it’s a great idea to have a man hitting a woman on television.” Before letting the issue rest, Rousey, like any great champion, added, “in the realm of possibilities… I could beat 100 percent of them.” (Ronda Rousey on Fighting a Man) Doubt that? Just ask Cat Zingano what it feels like when Ronda Rousey fights “like a girl.”