How Armbar made Ronda Rousey an instant star

Ronda Rousey Was sort of a one-trick pony. It’s a term usually used to diminish someone for their limitations, but Rousey has had unlimited success with one of her techniques. His run at the front of the MMA pack had an air of invincibility. He didn’t go on to become the brightest star power thorn the sport has ever seen. Rousey performed a magic act with only one joke.

Armbar.

Rousey brought with her finishing moves from judo, the sport in which she won Olympic bronze in 2008. The technique, which involves separating an opponent’s arm and using leverage to hyperextend the elbow joint and force a submission, has been his go-to from the moment he transitioned to MMA. After winning three amateur bouts, all by armbar within a minute, Rousey turned pro in 2011 and continued to rack up arms in no time. He won his first eight pro fights by knockout, with all but one of those last coming in the opening round. Five times he twisted his opponent into submission in less than a minute.

The Rousey armbar became MMA’s version of the Mike Tyson knockout punch. For the opposition, the finish was inevitable, but at least it ended quickly. For fans, the inevitable ending left them wanting more.

Rousey has become the biggest crossover star the UFC has ever seen, at least Conor McGregor Jumped onto the stage in 2013. It wasn’t entirely about the armbar. Rousey’s steely-eyed, double-time strut on the cage set of Joan Jett’s “Bad Reputation” was iconic. But the Rousey Mystique wouldn’t be hot if she didn’t cook opponents as fast as a microwave. Nobody ends fights like him. A trick did the trick.

You’ve probably noticed that this story so far refers to Russi’s war career in the past tense. Because he hasn’t competed in a decade. But that will change on May 16, when Rousey, 39, faces off Gina Carrano44, at a meeting of retired legends of women’s MMA.

Carano, who last fought nearly 17 years ago, was a pioneer of the sport and someone Rousey credits with inspiring her MMA career. Carano’s popularity served as a jumping-off point for Rousey, but that’s where the comparison ends. Their fighting styles could not have been more different. Carano comes from Muay Thai kickboxing, and three of his seven MMA wins have been by knockout. Whether her hands will be as quick as they were back in the day remains to be seen, but her best chance to win will be if Rousey engages her in a standup fight.

That’s not out of the question, since Rousey became enamored with boxing late in her UFC run and moved away from her bread-and-butter grappling. It was too much for his death. In her last two appearances inside the Octagon, Rousey was brutally beaten to the punch in knockout losses. Holly Holm And Amanda Nunes.

Against Carano, it would be wise for Rousey to bring the armbar out of her room—just for a bag of tricks. It’s been a while, but some things you never forget. It’s like riding a bicycle — if the point of travel is tapping the handlebars. Carano has never had to deal with an armbar in any of his fights, but does it matter if he does?

Knowing what was coming never helped Rousey’s opponents much. take it Sarah KaufmanFor example. They fought in the final Strikeforce women’s fight in August 2012 before Rousey went on to become part of the first women’s UFC fight. Kaufman was Rousey’s sixth professional opponent. All five had previously lost by armbar. Kaufman’s strategy was obvious.

“I think if there was any pressure on me at that point, it was to not let him armbar me like he did to all these guys,” Kaufman told ESPN in 2015. “‘This is ridiculous and I’m too good for it. You know what he’s doing, so don’t let him do it.’ That kind of thing. And that way of thinking almost lets it happen. I had a game plan on how to win, but that (armbar) was in my head. I just wanted to counter what he was doing.”

Kaufman had no time to retort. He got armbared in 54 seconds.

With sub-one-minute finishes piling up, a strong case was made that the Rousey armbar was the greatest finishing move in MMA history. It was definitely the most consistent and efficient. Consider these excellences compiled by ESPN Research.

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Four fights, four armbars, total fight time 138 seconds

Rousey’s first four professional fights ended by armbar in 25, 49, 25 and 39 seconds. That’s a total fight time of 2 minutes, 18 seconds. After working quickly Julia Budd For her fourth win, Rousey told an interviewer, “We did the math and figured out how much I was getting paid per second, and it was pretty cool.”

Only fighter to win their first two UFC fights by armbar

It’s no surprise that Rousey did it. By the time he signed with the UFC, the armbar was already his signature. He won six pro and three amateur fights, all by armbar. How can fans envision a Rousey fight?

“He’s very technical,” Adrian GomesRousey’s first professional opponent, told Bleacher Report in 2015Reflecting on his 25-second loss four years ago. “He’s several steps ahead. He’s like a razor, so fast. You don’t even notice what he’s doing until it happens.”

Fastest armbar finish in the UFC’s modern era

Rousey’s 14-second finish Cat Zingano February 2015 is the fastest by armbar in an era that began with the implementation of MMA’s Unified Rules at the turn of the century. It’s tied for the fastest armbar in UFC history — Joe Charles deposit Kevin Rozier 14 seconds into UFC 4 in 1994.

The instant finish at UFC 184 was a byproduct of Zingano’s aggressive tactics. She charged out of her corner and tried to drive Rousey to the canvas.

“I decided to go out and do something that hasn’t been done before,” Zingano told ESPN a few months after the fight. “If anybody knew how to kill Rhonda, they would have done it by now. People have tried different methods. My method was, ‘OK, no one’s gone at her before, guns blazing.’ Obviously, it didn’t work.”

Rousey jumped into top position and immediately defended the takedown attempt by securing the submission.

“This method can be checked off the list, I guess,” Zingano said.

Only woman to win a UFC fight without landing a significant strike

Did I mention that in the 14-second armbar finish, Rousey didn’t attempt a significant strike? One trick was enough.

Three UFC wins by armbar, tied for most by a woman

Its armbar is over Liz Carmouche, Misha Tate And Zingano tied Rousey with the current women’s bantamweight champion Mackenzie Dern and one-time title challenger Mayra Bueno Silva.

Carmouche, the other half of the first women’s fight in UFC history, took solace in at least putting Rousey in trouble before inevitably killing herself. In the opening minutes of their fight, she gained back position and tried to choke Rousey naked from behind.

“I’m the only opponent he hasn’t knocked down,” Carmouche, who is still an active fighter at age 42, told ESPN in 2015. “When it came down to me going down, he got me off his back. So, that’s something I did right.”

4:49 on the way to defeat.

Only women with five or more UFC wins by stoppage

Rousey won her first six fights in the Octagon, three by armbar submission and three by knockout.

Only woman in UFC history to finish three in one minute

After entering the UFC with a dominant run on Strikeforce and other promotions — six first-round armbar victories, all but one in the first minute — Rousey needed nearly the entire first round to defeat Carmouche, then took Tate in Round 3. After that, the quick finish resumes. Rousey scored her first non-armbar victory, defeating Sarah McMann By TKO in just over a minute. He then posted a record three sub-minute finishes: Alexis Davis (KO in 16 seconds), Zingano (armbar in 14 seconds) and Beth Korea (TKO in 34 seconds).

No man or woman in UFC history has finished more in less than 35 seconds.

“What impresses me is how quickly he finishes people,” McMann told ESPN in 2015. “He’s going for every opportunity and he’s setting a pace that’s really hard for people to maintain. He knows he doesn’t have to set it for 25 minutes, because he’s finishing people.”