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[Sakara=Excitement]

Dan Henderson's camp takes issue with Ronda Rousey headlining UFC 157, Dana defends the decision - Bloody Elbow

It's well known at this point that WMMA star Ronda Rousey will be making her UFC debut at UFC 157. In the press conference for UFC On Fox 5, UFC president Dana White confirmed that Rousey would headline the card in her first women's Bantamweight title defense against Liz Carmouche. This stirred controversy amongst fans immediately as it bumped the Light Heavyweight bout between Dan Henderson and Lyoto Machida down to co-main and made it a 3-round fight instead of 5.

MMA fans aren't the only one's upset with decision, either. Gracie Mag caught a quip from Team Quest coach Gus Pugliese's Facebook account:

Pugliese gave a follow up statement to Gracie Mag, as well:

There is one issue with Pugliese's logic here. He says that Rousey "is not the champion yet." While some agree with his sentiment that she won't really be the champ until she actually fights in the UFC, she was granted the title and proclaimed the champ by Dana White at the Fox 5 presser. This is consistent with how the UFC handled the men's Featherweight and Bantamweight championships after the WEC merger. And to White that's the most important factor (via Bleacher Report):

She's the champ. You will never see a [different] situation in any fight, whether men, women, the lightest weight division there is. If you're the champion, you're the headliner. You're the top of the card. I've seen some people talking s--- about, "Oh, the women's fight is headlining." Ronda Rousey is a badass, she's the champ, her opponent stepped up to the plate and wanted this fight with her when no one, others didn't. I don't give a s--- what they say, that's a fact.

On the other hand, Pugliese does raise a salient point regarding the expectations of each fight. Rousey opened as a 9:1 favorite over Carmouche. There's very few people who expect that fight to end in anything but first round armbar. But with Hendo/Machida predictions are much less clear and it's very possible that the Light Heavyweight bout could go the distance.

What neither White nor Pugliese mention is that the UFC could easily fix this issue by making Henderson vs. Machida a 5 round fight. We've seen repeatedly in the last year that both the commission and the UFC can make non-title matches 25 minutes. There's nothing in the rules that limits that privilege to main events. In many cases it would be considered a risk to book two 25-minute fights on one PPV, but with Rousey/Carmouche so likely to end early in round 1, that makes perfect sense here.

[mmawolverine]

oh come on let ronda have her moment, yes henderson is a legend but not headlining one ufc ppv shouldnt be a big deal considering the lengthy resume of an established mma icon

[singinkangaroooo]

i mean while he doesnt have a point.. he has a point... y not make Ronda (she is my dream wife dont get me wrong), who already has a 5 rd fight mandated, the co-main event and make the fight that has a higher possibility of going more then 3 rds the main event?? Hendo/Machida could be a classic 3 or 5 rds but i feel the better fighter is usually exposed in the 5 rd fights

but w/e DW is a shrewd businessman i wont doubt him

[kalebarker]

Vagina or not, the title fight should always be the maint event. Hendo should consider this a blessing. A 3 round favors him more than a 5 round fight.

[initial_zen]

The lyoto vs henderson fight isnt 5 rounds?! Wtf?!

[Qball1974]

You'd gas in a 5 round fight anyways Dan.

[Badluck33]

I think this has something to do with ppv buys or a main event bonus.

if you are a fighter, you dont care if you fight first or last. If you are more concerned about where your match is in the fight card, then your opponent may already have a leg up against you as you are wasting time and energy worrying about the smaller things.

[W.Silva>C.Norris]

1. "title" fights have no meaning anymore. Popularity contest, remember?
2. Henderson probably gets more if he's headlining the event. If champions can complain for different opponents and get support from you guys for "looking for the bigger money", why cant hendo?

[KevoOnTheRadio]

What exactly is stopping Hendo/Machida from being a 5 round fight? Why can't Zuffa just say "Fuck it, it's a five round fight"?

[sonofsteven]

Dan didn't look so hot in rounds 4 and 5 against shogun particularly 5 so this is not such a bad thing for him. And yeah champs should always headline. Always.