Tito Ortiz Breaks Down the Reasons Rousey-Ali is a Ridiculous Notion

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Ronda RouseyMMA’s queen kingpin Ronda Rousey is all over the place since her latest victory at UFC 184 in Los Angeles. Rousey completely destroyed what was supposed to be one of her toughest opponents to date in Cat Zingano on the February PPV, and it only took her 14 seconds to do so.

After that victory, and in the lead up to the premier of her new movie Fast and Furious 7, Rousey has been seen on just about every talk show and she took over ESPN a few weeks ago, although my favorite cameo was during WrestleMania 31 when she slapped Triple H and nearly took out Stephanie McMahon.

Rousey has the ability to completely take over pop culture and her crossover appeal is at an all-time high. The problem she faces is actually in her first profession of MMA where competitive opponents are becoming scarce. It has even been suggested that Rousey start fighting men, but that is a baseless suggestion and is pretty insulting when you think about it.

The one name that has sprung up is Laila Ali, who is probably the most famous female fighter before Rousey stepped into the picture. Naturally, fight fans are pairing the two fighters in a fantasy matchup, although both women have said they’d fight the other in their respective disciplines.

Tito Ortiz, the Hall of Fame MMA fighter, weighed in on the potential matchup, and he was as candid as we’ve come to expect him.

“I think that was a joke that even came about,” Ortiz told Thaboxingvoice.com. “Laila Ali is a boxer; Ronda Rousey is an MMA girl, its two separate sports. It’s like comparing chess to checkers, totally different. You put Rousey in there with gloves she’ll get knocked out; you put Laila in there with MMA gloves she’ll get submitted.”

Ortiz later suggested Rousey fight Cris Cyborg, a female fighter that he manages who fights at a weight class just above Rousey’s.

Ortiz makes two great points. Rousey should fight Cyborg although Ortiz needs to realize that Rousey is the A-side and Cyborg should meet her weight demands.

The other point that Ortiz makes is the one that separates boxing from MMA. They are two different sports, but just because they are both combat sports casual fans usually place them in the same category. Of course, it is an interesting notion to suggest the best in boxing fight the best in MMA, but it isn’t a realistic option for either side.

Boxers have tried competing in MMA, and it has proven to be a futile venture. The MMA fighters that have competed in boxing have yet to test themselves at a high level, but it wouldn’t end well for them, either. The fantasy matchups are fine to argue in the barbershop, but they should remain fantasy.