- Commissioner’s statement on Ventura, Marte
- Ronnie O’Sullivan: Masters champion ‘felt so vulnerable’ in final
- Arron Fletcher Wins 2017 WSOP International Circuit Marrakech Main Event ($140,224)
- Smith challenges Warner to go big in India
- Moncada No. 1 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Braves land 2 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Kingery makes MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- New Zealand wrap up 2-0 after Bangladesh implosion
- Mathews, Pradeep, Gunathilaka to return to Sri Lanka
- Elliott hopes for rain for Poli
The Bottom Line: No Vale La Pena
- Updated: October 18, 2016
This has been the year of the outspoken mixed martial artist. From Jose Aldo and Cris Cyborg to Tyron Woodley and Mark Hunt, fighters from across the globe have stood up to speak their minds and oftentimes voice their disapproval with the state of affairs. The great Georges St. Pierre on Monday added his name to that list. With so many athletes eager to let their thoughts be known, we’ve heard plenty of good points and plenty of bad ones. There have been points articulated well and ones that probably should have gone through a public relations manager. However, there is no fighter who has combined terrible points with awful presentation quite as spectacularly as Julianna Pena, who is now angrily threatening to quit the Ultimate Fighting Championship because Ronda Rousey is fighting for the women’s bantamweight title at UFC 207. Yes, Pena is threatening to quit the company because the most dominant fighter in the history of her division and one of the biggest drawing cards in the history of the sport is getting a chance to regain the title she dominated for years. It would be comical were the righteous indignation not so overwhelming. Rousey fighting for the title is as logical as it gets on both a business level and in terms of merit.On the business level, UFC 207 “Nunes vs. Rousey” would likely gross in the vicinity of $60,000,000 more than UFC 207 “Nunes vs. Pena.” You don’t have to be wrapped up in financial reports to surmise why Rousey might be fighting for the title. It’s the functional equivalent of a local theater actor raging after trying out for a blockbuster movie because Brad Pitt got the lead role without even auditioning: “I would have killed it in ‘World War Z,’ but they didn’t even look at my tape as Angelo in ‘Measure for Measure!’ It would be one thing if Rousey getting a title shot were some sort of heinous injustice. However, even putting aside economics, Rousey has a perfectly valid claim to a title shot upon her …
