UFC 157 gets new headliner.

If up 'till now I was pretty sure Dana was banging Rousey, now I'm positive ...

No way Rousey/Carmouche headlines over Hendo (legend of the sport and multi-organization and weight class champ)/Machida (ex-UFC champ and owner of his own "era" -- short as it may be :) ).

From some point in time, Dana has been "Ronda this, Rousey that, she's awesome, she's amazing", they're pictured together almost EVERYWHERE.

One question Dana, what are you going to do once she loses??? (and she will, eventually)

He's putting all of his eggs in a not fully tested basket.

My prediction: Two years from now, the UFC's dissolving the woman's division. 

He's not building it right, and I suspect that's happening because the only reason he's doing it is to give Rousey a home and try to cash in on her as much as he can before she wilts, and see what happens after that.

You'll see, women from all weight classes are going to start cutting enormous amounts of weight or fighting much bigger girls only to fight in the UFC.

Kinda disappointing regarding his mostly highly professional approach to MMA up to now.

* Edited at 12.07.2012, 3:12 AM ET *

word. i'm down for ronda to succeed and other women too. my beef with this **** is the hendo vs machida fight. that's a headliner, not a co main. 

Me too man ... don't get me wrong ... Invicta rules and I like WMMA ... I have no beef with them coming into the UFC and can totally understand Ronda headlining a PPV.

But if she's headlining a PPV against Carmouche (which by no means is a 500,000 buyrate fight) and you've got Hendo/Machida on as co-main event it either means that Dana's trying to cram Rousey down our throats (which supports what I said about him not REALLY wanting WMMA in the UFC, but just making a place for Ronda) or something is rotten in the state of Denmark (e.g. he's boning her ;) ).

Nah, I'm semi-joking about the boning her stuff, I just think Dana thinks Rousey's a bigger cash-cow that she actually will turn out to be. If she beats Cyborg, that's about the last big money fight she's got in her (unless it's controversial as ****) due to how badly she beat Tate. And if/once she loses to anybody she loses a large chunk of her marketability, since the whole unbeatable arm-collector thing is 40% of it (the rest is her pretty face and rowdy persona, which'll both also take a few knocks once she loses).

Anyway, regardless of anything Ronda related, I think it's down right disrespectful to a legend of the sport who hasn't started the decline in his career yet and is fighting a fellow contender to be co-main event of this card.

I think that Rousey/Carmouche as co-main even would've been exposure enough for Dana's shiny new toy.

The worse thing is, lots of people are going to buy this PPV for Hendo/Machida and Dana's going to say "look, Ronda can bring in the numbers even when she's fighting a relative unknown" ...

Oh well, I guess he's the boss and can run his ship how he sees fit ...

* Edited at 12.07.2012, 4:09 AM ET *

title fights always is the last bout

Sure thing, like I said, I can totally understand her headlining a PPV, but maybe the first fight or any fight of hers that isn't against the biggest of names should've headlined a different PPV or even better a Fuel TV/FX card. Championship bout or not.

If she was facing Tate or Cyborg, sure ... but she's facing Liz Carmouche. no way is that fight headlining over Hendo/Machida. Even if it's for a belt.

My beef is that Barao vs. McDonald is headlining a FUEL card and this fight headlines a PPV.

Yeah seriously. How are you gonna have McDonald/Barao on a ******* Fuel card and then have this fight on PPV... 100% agree. 

Do you guys think a Barao/McDonald ppv gets better numbers then a Rousey ppv? 

bow down to the Queen of MMA.  i would say 95% of casual fans have no clue who barao is. i know he will win though.

I would think the Rousey PPV would do better numbers...I think more casual fans have probably heard of Rousey. She has been all over websites and ****, how much do you see out there about Barao or McDonald?

And you know the UFC is gonna hype the fact she was the first American to medal in the Olympics in Judo

also that her mom was the first American to win a World Judo Championship

Ok well lets go with this situation what if Ronda loses? Also really 95% of people don't know who Barao is yet he headlined UFC 149 I think people know who Barao is.

* Edited at 12.07.2012, 11:17 AM ET *

I am pretty certain that if Ronda does lose, the whole aspect of WMMA in the UFC will become irreverent. I hate to say it but the whole division right now is just Rousey waiting for opponents to come and participate. Sure we have some big names that are in WMMA that are fighting, the Kaufmanns', Tates', Cyborgs', and the Coenens' of the world are few and not very much variety. From what it looks Ronda is going to be the poster child of the sport until she loses. And when that happens people will lose interest. Simple as that.

I don't see her as a PPV headliner but a headliner of FOX cards, but where it comes to PPV she could be a good co-main event to another Title bout. But seriously Dana is putting to much on Ronda's shoulders and is putting a lot of pressure of the division to her.

And the fact that there is only on division really limits the amount of women that can come over to the UFC let alone if they are UFC material.

Unfortunately this division will not last in the public's interest as long as there such a limit on good fighters in WMMA. So don't be surprised if the UFC buys out the woman's MMA organization Invicta with in the next year or year and a half in order to get more talent.

and it is easy to know why UFC 149 headlined with Barao, and I am not denying that he is a great fighter, but the main reason why he headlined for that card was the fact is that he was fighting long time poster child of the WEC and of the division Urijah Faber.

Simple as that.

He is not a popular name at the moment to casual fans of the sport so don't be surprised if Barao does not headline any PPVs in the future. FOX and FX, and as of right now Fuel are going to be his place. He can Co-main a PPV but only if Cruz comes back if then it is uncertain.

Yea your right @HD it just is stupid that Faber is still a bigger draw then Barao yet Barao beat his ass.

Depends who you ask. I bet Brazilians think differently. It really is relative. Fedor could sell out huge arenas. Werdum? Not so much. Maybe in Brazil.

title fights always are the last bouts to be had

if they changed it now because of the women...................... they'd have a real big problem

It depends which fight they would replace it with. They put a high profile fight; something like Silva/GSP as the main event. I guarantee you no one will complain about Rousey taking a back seat

Hey Anaheim isn't too far away from me



I might just go to this one.....

I think what @JM Barrie means is that the order isn't about people "minding" or not ... it's just that wrapping a belt round someone's waist is a better climax to a fight night than any other (even if it's a superfight) ... the whole symbolic act has a different feeling to it, so that's why they do it that way.

I also, agree that Ronda brings in bigger PPV numbers than both McDonald and Barao. And the reason Barao could headline UFC 149 (as some of you mentioned) was Faber's name value, not his. He may be greater, but he still doesn't have the ability to bring in numbers.

But I still think they could've found a PPV card without such a high profile co-main to put Ronda in, or she could co-main a PPV with a men's championship as headline.

Once again, all this giving the fact that her opponent is virtually unknown and most likely headed for a 1st round armbar. If this were Cyborg or even Tate, I'd say sure, Hendo/Machida can co-main that card. But no way Ronda/Carmouche is a PPV headliner. Ronda/Carmouche could headline a FX/Fuel TV or co-main a PPV (with the headliner being a championship bout so that they don't have to change the "last bout for belt rule" :) ).

* Edited at 12.07.2012, 2:34 PM ET *