It sure is lonely at the top if you're Ronda Rousey.
"Rowdy" stopped Sara McMann last night with a liver shot in the main event of UFC 170, retaining her UFC women's Bantamweight title and handing her opponent her first-ever mixed martial arts (MMA) loss.
To watch full fight video highlights of Rousey's win click here.
The stoppage really has nothing to do with Rousey, and in all honesty, it doesn't take away the fact that it was the best version of her that we've seen thus far in the Octagon.
Rousey and McMann engaged in a brawl in the opening moments, and "Rowdy" proved that she could take a shot when dishing one out.
McMann was supposed to be the most durable opponent Rousey had faced in her short career; nonetheless, Rousey made quick work of her fellow Olympian, needing little more than one minute to claim controversial victory.
Finishing the fight by technical knockout in the first round is an accolade that "Rowdy" had not yet accomplished. And despite the critics who feel that her win was lucky thanks to Herb Dean, you create your own luck in most cases.
Now, enough about the stoppage, and let's talk more about what's next for the champion.
Clearly, there's no true No. 1 contender for Rousey in the promotion.
Cat Zingano would have been the clear-cut answer; however, after undergoing major knee surgery that forced her out of a title fight with Rousey, her life took a turn for the worse when her husband committed suicide.
It's unfair to include Zingano in this conversation at this time because uncertainty looms with her fight future.
Meanwhile, there was a fight on the "Prelims" that featured Alexis Davis getting the split decision nod from the judges over Jessica Eye. Davis is now undefeated in the promotion, with three-straight decision victories.
That's the thing -- those wins aren't too convincing. And to top it all off, Davis couldn't finish Liz Carmouche -- a competitor who Rousey mauled in the first round of their main event scrap at UFC 157 (apart from a decent submission attempt from Carmouche).
Davis is a good fighter and all, and despite her bold claims that she is ready for a title shot, it's unclear if she's truly ready for the opportunity. Does anyone truly believe that Davis could win against Rousey in a few months?
It would be another one-sided prediction on the betting lines, and in all fairness, Davis hasn't given us a reason to jump out of our seats and scream for that fight. She should win one or two more and then we'll revisit the conversation.
That's part of the problem, though -- UFC's Women's Bantamweight division is so thin that we just named the worthiest contenders out there. Other options include Amanda Nunes and/or the winner of Jessica Andrade against Raquel Pennington.
No thanks.
Perhaps Rousey should take some time off and do the Hollywood thing for a while. It would kind of suck, though, since she may not even be in her prime as a fighter, but the lack of enticing match ups would force her to take a break at the best time possible.
Dana White reiterated in his UFC 170 media scrum with his beloved media followers that a company like WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) didn't have a problem with arguably their biggest star ever, The Rock, leaving for Hollywood. But, ask that question to a wrestling fan, and you'll get a very different answer.
Unfortunately, there are no sensible match ups for Rousey in the promotion at this present time. Emphasis, of course, on "in the promotion at this time."
Cristiane "Cyborg" Justino announced on Friday evening that she would be dropping down to the Bantamweight division, calling out Rousey (as well as White) for a fight. It's been a roller coaster ride of trash talk between these two for a couple of years now and it seems like we're closer than ever to seeing that fight.
But, there are a few things that need to be sorted out first.
Justino needs to sign with the company (it's more or less inevitable at this point), which is made easier now that Tito Ortiz is out of the picture. There's no way White wanted to do business with his favorite enemy. White was also vocal about "Cyborg" not being clean, however, she called him out on it and is willing to do additional testing.
Finally, at UFC 170's post-fight presser, White wanted Justino to make the weight first, fight a couple of times, and then he'd be more than willing to set it up. Maybe "Cyborg" can fight once in Invicta or something while Rousey takes a break and the division sorts itself out.
But, we all know that probably won't happen.
Rousey already revealed that she would like to return in summer 2014. And Davis has already claimed that she deserves the next title shot at UFC 170 post-fight press conference. That's more or less a recipe for a fight, especially considering the current sad state of the division.
Sit tight, because this one is going to be a wild one. We'll for sure update you on the status of any potential fight, but as it stands, Rousey is the untouchable and proven queen of UFC.
And chances are she will be for a long time if the right fight -- like "Cyborg" -- doesn't materialize.
For complete UFC 170: "Rousey vs. McMann" coverage including results, recaps, video highlights and more, click here.