Ronda Rousey defeats Bethe Correia via knockout in 34 seconds at UFC 190
Ronda Rousey promised to punish her trash-talking opponent Bethe Correia on the Brazilian’s home turf on Saturday and, boy, did she ever. It took the 28-year-old just 34 seconds at UFC 190 in Rio de Janeiro to deliver a knockout punch to rack up another win in her undefeated record and retain the UFC women’s bantamweight championship.
“I guess she can’t really say things about my hands anymore, huh,” Rousey said after her win, which she dedicated to WWE legend “Rowdy” Roddy Piper,who died suddenly on Friday.
Contrary to past fights, when she’s been cordial to her opponents, Rousey showed no respect for Correia, either at the beginning of the fight or at the end. The two fighters did not touch gloves before the bell and Rousey certainly didn’t congratulate her on her effort.
Rousey may have had good reason. In May, Correia trash-talked Rousey with allusions to Rousey’s father’s suicide — a taunt Correia apologized for but one that Rousey refused to accept. Correia also taunted the star after defeating two of Rousey’s friends in the Octagon, Jessamyn Duke and Shayna Baszler.
“I hope that nobody really brings up my family anymore when it comes to fights,” Rousey said.
Rousey, who walked into the arena stone-faced and unflinching, was teary eyed when the fight was over — and not because she was hurt. Rousey said after the match she had been thinking about both her father and Piper, who bestowed upon her the “Rowdy” name.
Rousey, who walked into the arena stone-faced and unflinching, was teary eyed when the fight was over — and not because she was hurt. Rousey said after the match she had been thinking about both her father and Piper, who bestowed upon her the “Rowdy” name.
“We lost a close friend, Roddy Piper, who gave me permission to use his nickname. I hope him and my dad enjoyed watching this together,” she said after the fight.
Rousey said the fight went pretty much exactly as she and her team had planned it. She went in aggressively and beat the brawler Correia at her own game. She let Correia make the first mistake when the Brazilian tried to get Rousey caught up in a clinch near the Octagon’s walls. With Correia scrambling, Rousey took the opportunity to deliver the knockout blow.
