UFC boss Dana White is still angling for Ronda Rousey to face Gina Carano next, but another candidate has entered the mix for a shot at the champion.
Bethe Correia beat Rousey’s buddy Shayna Baszler convincingly at UFC 177 on Saturday night in Sacramento and called out Rousey in her post-fight interview.
“I want to have a shot at Ronda at some point,” Correia said through an interpreter after the fight, according to the LA Times.
Rousey was fired up after hearing that Correia wants a piece of her. She immediately texted White.
“As soon as [Correia] started talking, Ronda texted me and said, ‘I want that fight. I want it before somebody else beats her,’ ” White said. “I said, ‘Calm down lady.’ ”
[Also see: Rousey wanted by WWE?]
Correia is now 9-0 (3-0 in the UFC) and is on the short list of candidates to fight Rousey. White is still hoping to sign Carano to the organization and have her fight Rousey next. He spoke with the media about his attempts to sign the fighter-turned-actress.
“It’s still complicated … but we’re so close. There’s like a couple of minor issues and then we’ll be done,” said White.
When asked if Carano would be signed by the end of the year, White answered confidently, saying, “Oh yeah.”
[Related: Rousey says Carano is worst style matchup for her]
If the UFC isn’t able to sign Carano, White says Cat Zingano would be next for Rousey. Zingano beat Miesha Tate in April, 2013 to earn a shot at Rousey. However, Zingano hurt her knee and needed surgery, so Tate replaced her and lost to Rousey for the second time. Zingano (8-0) is still looking for her first shot at Rousey.
But White says Correia is in the mix, especially after what she did on Saturday.
“I don’t think Bethe moves up because of the rivalry; I think Bethe moves up because of what she did tonight,” White said via MMA Junkie. “That was crazy. The punches she hit (Baszler) with, I haven’t seen anything like that since (Phil) Baroni (versus) (Dave) Menne. She looked good tonight. That’s what’s going to get her a fight with Rousey.”
Below are some video highlights from Correia’s win:
