Some pre-fight banter before the lovely ladies battle at midnight.

During the Friday weigh in, I picked something up about Rouda Rousey. After Holly Holm came in at 134 pounds and Rousey stepped up smiling and matched the weight, there was a tense faceoff. This wasn’t the surprising part. This happens at every contest that is centered around ring combat. Fighters weigh in, smile, flex and then bark at the other fighter. Keep in mind the fighter has been starving their body for weeks so they are seriously just hungry. When the two ladies stood face to face, Rousey put a fist next to Holm’s face and she did the same, to the point of pushing Ronda away.

However, Rousey seemed like an isolated teenager when she was interviewed by Joe Rogan about the tense staredown. She sounded truly rattled and unnerved by the way Holm had acted throughout the camp. Holly is a quiet sweet tall muscular killer. She smiles right up to the moment when she snaps you in half. Is this on purpose? Is this Holly trying to get into Ronda’s head by not saying much? Rousey’s last opponent mocked her dad’s suicide and got crushed in 34 seconds. Holm isn’t doing that. She is unlike many of Rousey’s opponents. She is undefeated, tall and muscular. She is a specimen that will give Rousey trouble.

I was just surprised at the reaction from Rousey. She is an emotional woman and lets her words and tears fly. She is also a worldwide phenomenon. She is everywhere. After destroying Correia this summer, Rousey became even bigger around the world. A tough woman who has beaten her last three opponents in just over 64 seconds. She deserves the fame but is it finally getting to her? The commercials, the videos, the movies, the publicity and all of that getting to the most popular female in sports and in the world who just donned the cover of a boxing magazine. It’s a point to ponder as the pay per view event gets underway in Australia.

I’ve seen Rousey get emotional talking about anything but she seemed detached from her zone Friday evening at the weigh in. Holm was calm as a feather, saying she was just taking a drink and praising Rousey’s ability. She’s been sucking at the throne of Rousey this entire tour of publicity for the fight. She could be secretly ninja chopping Rousey on the inside.

The trainers for Holm have battled Rousey before and lost so there is history there. This could just be Ronda letting it all hang out before she goes off to film a pair of films before another fight. I wonder how much she wants to fight and how much she wants to make movies. She probably doesn’t mind not getting punched for real but I think there is a hunger inside her that is leaking out with this Holm fight.

I could be mistaken, but I think Holm pushes Ronda tonight. Holm is 9-0 in MMA and 2-0 in UFC with an overall professional fighting record of 33-2 but it’s the build of this woman and the quiet confidence that pushes me a little. Correia got into the ring and got punched and immediately got scared. I don’t see a bit of recklessness in Holm and that could help her last a round.

I still see Rousey winning this fight. I still her coming out on top. I just saw something Friday night from Rousey that was a little bizarre. I am not a fighter though.

Again, Rousey could have simply been hungry.