Ronda Rousey shows her face again! | Long Island MMA

Ronda Rousey shows her face again!

Since Ronda Rousey lost her UFC Woman’s Bantamweight Championship to Holly Holm at UFC 193 this past November it seems she has been in hiding, leaving everyone guessing when and if she will come back and what her next move will be.  It seems she thought it was a good idea to make her first appearance just a few days ago on NBC’s Saturday Night Live, but many fans of Ronda and SNL do not share her enthusiasm over it. First, this was an important show because it was the first time we got to hear from the former champ since her loss to the current champion Holly Holm.  Ronda congratulated Holly Holm on her victory and said it “was a fight Holly deserved to win.”  It did take a few months for Rousey to show Holm the respect she deserves, but it is refreshing to hear that a humbled Ronda Rousey is growing past her loss. Now that she accepts and respects what happened in that fight with Holm she can move forward and potentially work her way back to the top. Not only was Ronda’s appearance on SNL important for her and her fans, but it was important for MMA as a sport because this was the first time an MMA athlete hosted SNL.  It’s great to see that the sport has become more widespread throughout the country and the world, UFC moves the world of MMA forward in a great way.  The only problem was that people were not impressed by the episode at all. Most opinions were very critical of Rousey’s performance; the harshest ones were comparing it to her performance in the Octagon against Holly Holm.  The nicer reviews complemented Ronda on her acting ability, but criticized the SNL writers for not being able to write a good script as of late. Say what you will of Ronda Rousey’s acting abilities, or the SNL writer’s creative abilities, Ronda needed to make a move back into the public’s eye.  Losing a big fight and then disappearing off the face of the earth raises question to a champion’s character, the best thing she can do is show the perseverance to push through and learn from the experience.  A strong character is what separates the good from the great, and solidifies the true champions as legends.

Watch her opening monologue here:
https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/ronda-rousey-monologue/2973576

What’s next for UFC Bantamweight Division??

On January 17th 2016, the UFC Bantamweight Championship Belt was returned to Dominick Cruz after his split-decision victory over TJ Dillashaw.  Cruz dominated with footwork and totally took Dillashaw out of his element, never letting him get comfortable.  TJ Dillashaw has been known for having amazing footwork, being very light on his toes.  It was quite the opposite this time, in his fight with Cruz he appeared flatfooted and sluggish, not able to land any of his shots.  Watching Dillashaw’s fight against Renan Barao, many people have compared Dillashaw’s style to that of
Dominick Cruz.  Cruz had a lot to say on that matter before their fight saying “When people make a comparison, they don’t know what they’re comparing.”  Cruz believes that he created the style that Dillashaw tries to mimic, so there is no way that Dillashaw would have a chance at beating him. Cruz was also questioned often about his potential “ring-rust” because he has only had one fight in the past 4 years.  When questioned after the fight Cruz responded with “There is no such thing as rust.  Rust does not exist unless you don’t train hard enough.”  This says a lot about the mental strength of the
champion.  After being out for so long with so many injuries, Cruz has the perseverance to come back, still be the most agile fighter in MMA, and win the championship belt that he never lost in the first place.  Who is next for the Champion?  Uriah Faber issued his own challenge to Cruz, but the more exciting match-up would be Uriah Faber vs. TJ Dillashaw.  Faber and Dillashaw have some bad blood since Dillashaw left team Alpha Male to train with Duane Ludwig.  Thanks to Connor Mcgregor’s antics on The Ultimate Figher, Dillashaw was labeled as a “snake in the grass” and pushed Uriah Faber to fight him. Barao just lost his last two title fights, so the only other potentials are Raphael Assuncao or Aljamain Sterling.  Only time will tell who’s next to step up to the plate, the bantamweight division will have to step up their game if they plan to dethrone the current Champion.

Sock it to me!

Another Good Deed from the Fighters and Coaches at Long Island MMA!! Long Island MMA of Farmingdale, the premier MMA facility of Long Island NY, closed out 2015 with a very generous Toy Drive to help children who were less fortunate during the holiday season.  The turnout was amazing as they had over 100 gifts for the Toys-for-Tots organization.  Now that the New Year has come, they are moving right along to their next endeavor.  This time around they are collecting brand new socks to donate to the homeless!

Socks are a very important to your overall health, providing the wearer with padding, moisture absorption, and warmth.   Homeless will often be stuck wearing socks that are old and damaged, or will go without socks at all!  This lack of protection can lead to bacterial or fungal infections, blisters, and frostbite.  People are usually most grateful for socks because they are in such high demand and in low supply.  Typically when you think of donations you think of money or food, but there is always so much of that donated and not enough undergarments.  Not only are they not donated enough, but the homeless go through socks faster than you and me because they are getting more use out of them. This sock drive will be very important now that we are getting into the coldest months for New York.  We love that Long Island MMA proves to be more than just a “UFC Gym.”  All the Fighters, members, and coaches are like a family, and when they are not training or teaching, they are trying to inspire others and help make Long Island a better place for everyone!