Sometimes, big happens by accident.
Were it not for torn cartilage in Chris Weidman's ribs, what many are viewing as the biggest weekend in women's MMA history -- highlighted by the women's bantamweight title fight between UFC champion Ronda Rousey and No. 1 contender Cat Zingano -- might not have materialized at all.
With Weidman and opponent Vitor Belfort out of the way, though, the spotlight shines on three women's bouts on two different cards, with all the intrigue and plot of a Shakespearean drama.
And guess what? Weidman's misfortune is our benefit. Because the Friday-Saturday back-to-back cards of Invicta -- an all-women's fight organization -- and UFC 184 should be awesome.
Consider the dramatis personae:
The Hero: Ronda Rousey. She's intent on eclipsing a career year in 2014, summarized by a quote of the year candidate for 2015: "If [I made] 2014 my bitch, then 2015 is going to look like my bitch's bitch."
The Foil: Cat Zingano. She has fought back from incredible personal tragedy and injury. "I just have to be me, I have do me, go out there with my intensity and my aggression and I'm unstoppable. I know that."
The Old Lion: Cris Cyborg. After a year-and-a-half banishment, she returns with a vengeance Friday night for Invicta, with nonstop talk of an eventual bout against her rival, Rousey. Cyborg-Rousey is the Pacquiao-Mayweather of women's MMA. "A true fighter -- you fight anyone."
The Upstart: Fresh-faced former boxer Holly Holm makes her UFC debut as a KO-seeking potential future Rousey dethroner. "I always want to dominate ... I never want it to be close."
Any way we could have Gina Carano swing by Staples Center on Saturday night, just to complete the Mount Rushmore of women's MMA all in one confined space in Los Angeles?
So is this hype, or is the weekend truly landmark? To date, the unofficial birthdate for women's MMA was UFC 168, which featured Rousey against Miesha Tate as the culmination of an all-female cast of "The Ultimate Fighter: Season 20" and debuted the women's strawweight (115 pounds) division.
That night was at the beginning of what has been a two-year rapid growth spurt for women's fighting, and most of that can be tied to Rousey.
She broke through every barrier on her way to the top of the women's bantamweight division and, arguably, the entire UFC. Rousey's fights have been fast and furious (she's 10-0, with nine first-round stoppages), and her colleagues seem to have adopted her style. When many of the TUF Season 20 fighters talked, for instance, they often cited Rousey as a role model.
"You can have a fight card full of male fights, yet when that female fight comes on, that's what people pay attention to," Zingano said. "The UFC's smart for making all of us girls go out there [on one card]."
But what happens if Rousey loses? Would all of the air come out of women's MMA? Not necessarily, as ESPN's Brett Okamoto argued earlier this week. It's possible that a Rousey loss would make her next fight even bigger, he writes.
And if she were to lose, one of the big question marks about women's MMA -- that there isn't much depth beyond Rousey and Cyborg -- would be at least partially answered.
"There is definitely a lot of competition at 135 and this card's evidence of it," Rousey said. "We have women in the main and co-main events because we have that many high-quality fighters that are worthy of the honor."
Perhaps most significant, this weekend shows that Rousey has entered that rarefied air of the A-list of sports, where a champion is watched not only because of his/her greatness but also because fans are drawn to the possibility of a seemingly-infallible person falling. Jon Jones is still there. Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva occupied that space until recently. And now we have Rousey as arguably the UFC's most reliable big draw.
And just think: Just a few years ago, UFC president Dana White said he thought women would never fight in the organization.
"I hope the fans realize the type of fight they have in front of them," Rousey said. "It's going to be the type of thing you need to see live and don't want to see the highlights of later."
She has taken center stage, and she has brought women's MMA with her. And that's no accident.
