Bethe Correia believed she was destined to bring down the queen. Like all others before her, she was mistaken.
Ronda Rousey dismissed Correia’s challenge with a brutal first-round knockout, as she retained the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight title in the UFC 190 “Rousey vs. Correia” main event on Saturday at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. The end came 34 seconds into round one, with Correia face down and motionless on the canvas.
The confident Rousey did not pursue a ground fight, forgoing a far safer route. Instead, she stood with the Brazilian brawler, walked through her punches, backed Correia towards the cage and let her quick, powerful hands fly.