Clubhouse

Quick Links

20 Male Athletes Ronda Rousey Could Beat in a Fight

+Read full article

Stephen R. Sylvanie - USA Today Sports

20 Male Athletes Ronda Rousey Could Beat in a Fight

UFC Ronda Rousey — It took just 14 seconds for Ronda Rousey to defend her 135-pound title against Cat Zingano at UFC 184 on Saturday night. Rousey has defeated every opponent she has faced in her MMA career, which has gotten people talking about what male fighters she could beat.

I took my best shot at it – here are 20 male athletes Ronda Rousey could beat in a fight.

It took just 14 seconds for Ronda Rousey to defend her 135-pound title against Cat Zingano at UFC 184 on Saturday night. Rousey has defeated every opponent she has faced in her MMA career, which has gotten people talking about what male fighters she could beat.

I took my best shot at it – here are 20 male athletes Ronda Rousey could beat in a fight.

20. Johnny Manziel

20. Johnny Manziel

Manziel’s career is quickly spiraling out of control, so a beatdown might be exactly what he needs. His partying ways have not stopped since he was drafted in the first round by the Cleveland Browns in the 2014 NFL Draft. "Johnny Football" is currently in rehab trying to get his life back together.

19. Dustin Pedroia

19. Dustin Pedroia

The Boston Red Sox second baseman is one of the smallest players in all of baseball at 5-foot-8, 165-pounds. Pedroia is one of the fiercest competitors in sports, so Rousey vs. Pedroia is one fight I’d love to watch.

18. Lionel Messi

18. Lionel Messi

He’s one of the best soccer players of all time and incredibly athletic, but Messi’s just 5-foot-6, 148-pounds, and not exactly a workout warrior.

17. Tom Brady

17. Tom Brady

Outside of his right arm, Brady is easily one of the least athletic players in the NFL. The four-time Super Bowl champion quarterback’s performance at the 2000 NFL scouting combine has become well known for just how bad it was. Brady’s 40-yard dash time of 5.28 is the slowest of all starting quarterbacks in the NFL today.

16. Stephen Curry

16. Stephen Curry

The Golden State Warriors point guard has quickly entered the discussion of who the best player is in the NBA. Curry is a leading candidate for the 2014-15 MVP award, but he dominates opponents with quickness and creativity, rather than size and strength. He’s certainly no pushover at 6-foot-3, 190-pounds, but Rousey would be the real “warrior” in this matchup.

15. Ray Rice

15. Ray Rice

Rice might be only 5-foot-8, but he’s definitely a very strong guy, so a lack of strength is not why I think Rousey would win. After what Rice did in that elevator to his then-fiancé, you know Rousey would have some extra motivation. Anyone here that wouldn’t like to see Rice get knocked out?

14. Tiger Woods

14. Tiger Woods

Tiger’s a pretty big guy, but there’s absolutely no way his back holds up long enough for him to defeat Rousey. I also wouldn’t be surprised if his ex-wife Elin Nordegren found her way into the octagon to get a few shots in on Tiger.

13. Wes Welker

13. Wes Welker

With all the concussions and head injuries Welker has dealt with in recent years, I admittedly do feel a little bad putting him on this list. The Denver Broncos slot receiver is 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, so size certainly isn’t his calling card. This fight might not even happen if Welker is busted for amphetamine use in the lead up.

12. José Altuve

12. José Altuve

Houston Astros José Altuve — Altuve was one of the breakout stars of the 2014 MLB season. The Houston Astros second baseman led all players with a .341 average and his 225 hits were 25 more than the next best player. Incredibly, Altuve is only 5-foot-6.

Altuve was one of the breakout stars of the 2014 MLB season. The Houston Astros second baseman led all players with a .341 average and his 225 hits were 25 more than the next best player. Incredibly, Altuve is only 5-foot-6.

11. Martin St. Louis

11. Martin St. Louis

St. Louis is as relentless a player in the offensive zone as there is in the NHL. Even now at 39 years of age, the former NHL MVP is still one of the best goal playmakers in the league. Fighting, however, is not his forte. Simply enough, at 5-foot-8 and 180-pounds, the untrained St. Louis is no match for the greatness of Ronda Rousey.

10. Peyton Manning

10. Peyton Manning

The reasons for Rousey being able to defeat Manning are identical to those of Tom Brady. Manning beats teams by outsmarting them, anticipating what the defense is going to do, and with accurate throws. He’s also coming off a pretty bad hamstring injury, so that’s definitely not going to help.

9. Tim Lincecum

9. Tim Lincecum

When you think of dominant power pitchers, you think of 6-foot-5 guys with huge legs and an intimidating presence up on the mound. That couldn’t be further from the case for the 5-foot-10, 170-pound Lincecum. The San Francisco Giants pitcher is a two-time Cy Young Award winner, but he’s not winning anything against Rousey.

8. Landon Donovan

8. Landon Donovan

Donovan’s retired now, but he’s just 32 years old, so I think it’s fair to include him on the list. The U.S. soccer legend is just 5-foot-8 and 154 pounds, easily one of the smallest athletes in all of professional sports.

7. DeSean Jackson

7. DeSean Jackson

Outside of a couple nearly 40-year-old quarterbacks, itt’s hard to choose any football player for this list, but Jackson is our best bet for Rousey to beat. The diminutive wide receiver is listed at 5-foot-10, 178-pounds, and it’s speed, not power, that Jackson uses to give defenses fits.

6. Isaiah Thomas

6. Isaiah Thomas

Thomas is one of the quickest players in the NBA and has used his speed to become one of the best bench scorers in the league despite being only 5-foot-9. He was the last pick in the 2011 draft and has taught teams not to judge players just by their size.

5. Mo Farah

5. Mo Farah

Farah is one of the best long and medium-distance runners in the world and the current Olympic, World and European champion in the 5,000 meters to 10,000 meters. Farah also holds the English marathon record of 2 hours, 8 minutes, and 21 seconds. Farah is tiny for an athlete at just 5-foot-5, 128-pounds, and there’s no doubt in my mind this fight would be over even quicker than 14 seconds.

4. Brian Gionta

4. Brian Gionta

Hockey players are known as some of the toughest athletes in the world, and Gionta certainly fits that description, but he’s simply too small to hang with Rousey. The Buffalo Sabres captain is 5-foot-7, 174-pounds, and at 36 years old, he’s well past his prime.

3. Monta Ellis

3. Monta Ellis

For some reason, the NBA asks players to bench press 185-pounds at the NBA Draft Combine. Only five players have failed to rep the bar even one time: Kevin Durant, Jamal Crawford, Monta Ellis, T.J. Ford, and Luke Ridnour. Durant is nearly 7-feet tall, so I think he’d take down Rousey, but I’m not so sure about Ellis.

2. Tim Collins

2. Tim Collins

Pitchers, especially the good ones, are usually tall, but there have been some exceptions to the rule. Relatively short pitchers like Pedro Martinez, and now Tim Lincecum and Yordano Ventura, have excelled despite being no taller than 6-feet. Not only is Collins not 6-feet tall, but he doesn’t even come close. The Kansas City Royals reliever is just 5-foot-7!

1. Alexi Amarista

1. Alexi Amarista

Tied with José Altuve as the shortest current baseball player at 5-feet-6-inches tall is San Diego Padres utility man Alexi Amarista. Not only is he shorter than Rousey, but at a listed 150-pounds, he almost weighs the same amount as her!

Seth Lassen is a writer for RantSports. Like him on Facebook.

Your Favorites

Close Article Return to stream X

Clubhouse• 3 days ago

Sharapova Reveals Failed Drug Test At Australian Open

Breaking News

Former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova said she had a major announcement, and it was a doozy for the tennis world.

Comment

0 Comments

Close Article Return to stream X

Clubhouse• Videos• 3 days ago

Big 10 Champion Wrestler's Mullet Is Topic Of Interview

Sammy Brooks won a Big 10 wrestling championship for the Iowa Hawkeyes recently, but he wasn't interested in discussing anything that happened out on the mat afterward. Instead, during his post-match interview, Brooks, who is clearly a legend, made it all about his epic mullet, and the clip is nothing short of hilarious.

Comment

0 Comments

Close Article Return to stream X

Clubhouse• Videos• 2 weeks ago

Watch College Baseball Players Awesomely Joust During Rain Delay

What do you do in a rain delay?

Joust, of course. #RaiseHigh pic.twitter.com/xdfUEivXz9

— GW Baseball (@GWBaseball1) February 23, 2016

It's become a bit of an art for college baseball players to find entertaining things to do during rain delays. We've seen the dance-offs, the slip-n-slide on the tarp and all the classics, but these two teams stepped it up a notch. Who doesn't find this entertaining?

Comment

0 Comments

Close Article Return to stream X

Clubhouse• 2 weeks ago

15 Most Out Of Shape Athletes Of All Time

Breaking News

Normally to be athletic, you have to be in pretty good shape. Don't tell that to these 15 athletes, all of whom played sports in pretty bad shape.

Comment

0 Comments

Close Article Return to stream X

Clubhouse• Videos• 3 weeks ago

Fly Around As A Drone In Epic First-Person View Video

Instead of controlling your drone remotely during racing, why not experience racing as the drone? This video gives you an epic first-person view as a drone navigating an IDRA qualifying course. Enjoy!

Comment

0 Comments

Close Article Return to stream X

Clubhouse• 3 weeks ago

Bowling Icon Jason "Belmo" Belmonte Talks Life Behind The Scenes

Breaking News

Professional bowler Jason "Belmo" Belmonte talks about the origins of his two-handed approach, haters, motivation and future goals. This is life behind the scenes for one of bowling's greatest athletes.

Comment

0 Comments

Close Article Return to stream X

Clubhouse• Videos• 3 weeks ago

Watch What It's Like To Race Drones Through VR Headsets

Check out how drones sync with virtual reality headsets to give you an incredible driver's seat view of IDRA drone racing. It sure feels like the future has arrived.

Comment

0 Comments

Close Article Return to stream X

Clubhouse• 3 weeks ago

Teammates Who Hated Each Other's Guts

Breaking News

It's generally a good idea to get along with your teammates, but these 15 pairs of teammates could never seem to stay away from fighting one another.

Comment

0 Comments

Close Article Return to stream X

Clubhouse• Videos• 3 weeks ago

Watch What Drone Racing Is All About With These IDRA Highlights

Check out arguably the most unique event in all of sports: Drone racing. Here are highlights from San Diego's Cup Qualifier, hosted by the International Drone Racing Association.

Comment

0 Comments

Close Article Return to stream X

Clubhouse• 3 weeks ago

Smallest Professional Athletes to Succeed

Breaking News

These 20 athletes were smaller than the average person, but still managed to play sports at the highest levels of their respective leagues.

Comment

0 Comments

Your Favorites