UFC 170: Rousey vs. McMann | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Dana Black
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Introduction
UFC 170: Rousey vs. McMann. February 22, 2014. Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas. Ronda Rousey retained the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship against Sara McMann via TKO (knee to liver) at 1:06 of round one. It was the first time in Rousey’s professional career that she had finished a fight with something other than an armbar.
Rousey had promised her coach before the fight that she would drop McMann with a body shot. After stating this publicly post-fight, she attracted a mix of admiration and criticism for calling her own technique in advance. The stoppage was controversial: McMann stood up immediately and appeared physically unaffected. Daniel Cormier destroyed Patrick Cummins in 79 seconds. Rory MacDonald defeated Demian Maia. Stephen Thompson stopped Robert Whittaker.
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Quick Stats
3. The Build-Up
4. Main Event
5. Co-Main Event
6. Full Results
7. Bonuses & Awards
8. Records & Milestones
9. Legacy & Impact
10. FAQ
11. References
Quick Stats
Date: February 22, 2014
Venue: Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
PPV: 340,000
Main Event: Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Sara McMann — UFC Women’s BW Championship (McMann: 2004 Olympic wrestling silver medallist)
Result: Rousey def. McMann — TKO (Knee to Liver) — R1, 1:06; ROUSEY’S FIRST NON-ARMBAR FINISH; Rousey CALLED the shot; controversial stoppage; McMann stood up immediately
Notable: Cormier TKO of Cummins 1:19 R1 (Cummins made Cormier cry in training; Cormier’s revenge); MacDonald def. Maia; Thompson def. Whittaker; $50k bonuses
The Build-Up
Sara McMann was a 2004 Olympic silver medallist in Greco-Roman wrestling — the most decorated grappling background of any opponent Rousey had faced. The expectation was that McMann’s wrestling would prevent Rousey from executing the armbar. Rousey’s coach, Edmond Tarverdyan, told media that Rousey had been dropping sparring partners with body shots in camp. Rousey confirmed this before the fight and said she intended to drop McMann the same way.'),
Main Event
Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Sara McMann — UFC Women’s BW Championship
McMann came out throwing punches. Both women exchanged hard shots. Rousey clinched against the fence and landed elbows. She then threw multiple knees to McMann’s body. One knee connected directly with McMann’s liver. McMann’s arms dropped and she went to the mat holding her mid-section. Referee Herb Dean stopped it at 1:06. McMann rose immediately, insisting she was fine. The stoppage was declared a TKO. Many at ringside disputed whether the stoppage was premature.'),
Post-fight, Rousey: ‘I promised my coach that I would do it. I really did. I promised that I would drop her with a body shot. We knew that she’s a wrestler and she was going to be more bent over all the time.’
Co-Main Event
Daniel Cormier vs. Patrick Cummins — Light Heavyweight
Patrick Cummins had training stories from years ago of making Cormier cry during a brutal wrestling session when Cormier was preparing for his Olympic bid. Cummins brought those stories to the promotion of the fight. Cormier scored an uppercut in the opening seconds that hurt Cummins immediately. Follow-up punches ended it at 1:19 of round one.
Full Results
Preliminary Card
Aljamain Sterling def. Cody Gibson — Sub — R? — BW; Sterling UFC debut
Zach Makovsky def. Josh Sampo — Decision — R3 — FW [125 lbs]
Raphael Assunção def. Pedro Muñoz — Decision — R3 — BW
Alexis Davis def. Jessica Eye — Decision — R3 — WBW
Main Card
Erik Koch def. Rafaello Oliveira — TKO — R1 — FW
Stephen Thompson def. Robert Whittaker — TKO — R1 — WW; POTN ($50k to Thompson)
Mike Pyle def. T.J. Waldburger — TKO — R1 — WW
Rory MacDonald def. Demian Maia — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 (29-28 x3) — WW; POTN ($50k each)
Daniel Cormier def. Patrick Cummins — TKO (Strikes) — R1, 1:19 — LHW; Co-Main; Cummins made Cormier cry in training; Cormier’s 79-second revenge
UFC Women’s BW Championship (5 rounds) — Main Event
Ronda Rousey def. Sara McMann — TKO (Knee to Liver) — R1, 1:06 — Rousey’s first non-armbar finish; called the shot; FOTN ($50k to Rousey)
Bonuses & Awards
Fight/Performance Night: Ronda Rousey vs. Sara McMann — $50,000 to Rousey.
Performance Night: Rory MacDonald vs. Demian Maia — $50,000 to each fighter.
Performance Night: Stephen Thompson — $50,000.
Records & Milestones
Ronda Rousey — first professional finish not by armbar; tenth consecutive professional victory; fifth UFC fight (four wins by armbar, one by TKO).
Aljamain Sterling UFC debut — Sterling made his debut with a submission win; he became UFC BW Champion in 2021.
Legacy & Impact
Rousey vs. McMann was the fight that confirmed Rousey’s striking development was real. Her previous finishes had all come via armbar. Against McMann, the Muay Thai knee that connected with the liver came from a trained technique she had specifically targeted for this camp. The coached finish was unusual enough to generate a secondary news cycle beyond the fight result itself.'),
FAQ
Why was the UFC 170 stoppage controversial?
Herb Dean stopped the fight when Sara McMann dropped after Rousey's knee to the liver. McMann stood up immediately post-stoppage and appeared physically unaffected. The debate was whether the reflex drop constituted an inability to continue or a momentary reaction to pain.
Did Rousey predict her finish at UFC 170?
Yes. Before the fight, Rousey told media that her coach had been working body shots with her in camp and that she would drop McMann with a body shot. Post-fight she confirmed she had promised this outcome to her coach.
Was Sara McMann a credible title challenger at UFC 170?
Yes. McMann was a 2004 Olympic silver medallist in Greco-Roman wrestling and had gone 7-0 in MMA before the fight. Her wrestling background made her the most grappling-credentialed opponent Rousey had faced.
What was the story behind Cormier vs. Cummins at UFC 170?
Patrick Cummins had been a training partner of Cormier during his Olympic wrestling preparation. Cummins claimed publicly that he had made Cormier cry during a gruelling session. Cormier stopped Cummins in 79 seconds with punches at UFC 170.
Was UFC 170 Aljamain Sterling's UFC debut?
Yes. Sterling made his UFC debut at UFC 170 with a submission victory. He later became the UFC BW Champion in 2021 by defeating Petr Yan via disqualification.
References
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