Fan love shifting from Tate to Rousey?
Gareth A. Davies
There has been a sneaking suspicion↲ that The Ultimate Fighter season 18 has been a heavyweight PR vehicle for Miesha Tate, who has harnessed↲ a growing legion of supporters as Ronda Rousey continues to stamp her feet and storm out of rooms.
That was evidenced this week with a resounding thump↲ when the votes were in for the new EA SPORTS UFC video game cover vote-off
Rousey’s bandwagon buckled when EA SPORTS revealed Tate received more votes than her in their head-to-head matchup. Would this have happened prior to TUF being aired? No.
But you know what, the swing vote↲ in MMA is a large one. And it depends on Octagon action, not reality television series tantrums↲.
Look at Jon Jones. He gets a strange rap↲ from the UFC fan base. Jones told me not long after he became light heavyweight champion how he applies the “10-80-10 rule”, and never departs from it.
His theory is this: 10 percent of fans will hate him no matter what; another 10 percent will follow him devotedly even if he went on a lay-and-pray↲ streak↲ and sent a series of arenas into slumber↲. The remaining 80 percent, he reckons↲, swim with the tide↲. Pretty wise theory.
And I’ll wager it holds true↲. Ever recall↲ a fighter being booed into the Octagon, and then cheered↲ out of it, or cheered as they come back and rescue a victory from the throes of defeat?
Those Coliseum moments which draw us all in, when a baying crowd↲ turns, and the heel leaves as hero↲, are legion in MMA.
In many ways, that fan response, the antidote to xenophobia, shows why the aficionados of MMA are actually very special.
You wouldn’t get it in boxing, NFL or soccer, where tribal mores are stretched beyond reality into blind faith↲.
Thumbs up, thumps down is a 180-degree movement which can be done in a second.
There has been something a little abhorrent seeing Ronda in people’s faces week after week through 11 episodes of TUF. Though, on a personal level, Ronda getting into the face of Dennis Hallman was a standout moment↲ for me. Rousey has no fear. And certainly not of any man.
There is the argument that Tate was able to act her way through the series and utilize it as a powerful PR vehicle.
The difference is that Tate has shown a propensity to play to the camera, aware of them being there. Rousey couldn’t give a damn whether the cameras are there or not.
Ask Mrs. Rousey: “Ronda holds a grudge↲ to extreme. That’s good for her as a competitor, because she is highly motivated by spite↲. Miesha would be wise to never fight Ronda. Because Ronda holds a grudge, and once her mind is made up, she won’t change.” And there lies the rub↲.
In late December , that cage door will slam shut↲. Rousey will then show the proverbial finger when winning a vote will not mean a thing↲.
Then, in Ronda’s words, it will be “Team Real/Mean” versus “Team Fake/Nice” and I don’t need to spell out↲ what “Rowdy” is getting at↲ . . .
Regardless↲ of whether Ronda Rousey gets booed↲ into the Octagon, watch who gets the thumbs up from the fight. And there — indeed — will be the real vote.
Fighting, and being champion, is about winning. It’s not a popularity contest↲.
Continue reading…
Key Terms…
- a sneaking suspicion ↔ uma suspeita de ↲
- who has harnessed ↔ que tem aproveitado ↲
- a resounding thump ↔ um baque retumbante ↲
- prior ↔ antes
- being aired ↔ (estar) sendo exibido
- the swing vote ↔ o voto decisivo ↲
- tantrums ↔ birras ↲
- rap ↔ reputação negativa ↲
- how he applies the ↔ como ele se aplica a
- devotedly ↔ devotadamente
- lay-and-pray ↔ ficar por cima e rezar ↲
- streak ↔ séries (consecutivas) ↲
- slumber ↔ letargia, entediados ↲
- he reckons ↔ ele avalia ↲
- swim with the tide ↔ nada com a maré ↲
- I’ll wager it holds true ↔ aposto que é verdade ↲
- Ever recall ↔ Sempre lembro ↲
- booed ↔ vaiado
- cheered ↔ aplaudido ↲
- from the throes of defeat ↔ da agonia da derrota
- draw us all in ↔ nos atraem a todos
- a baying crowd ↔ uma multidão aos gritos ↲
- and the heel leaves as hero ↔ o cara mal sai como o herói ↲
- the antidote to xenophobia ↔ o antídoto para a xenofobia
- tribal mores are stretched beyond reality into blind faith ↔ costumes tribais são esticados além da realidade em fé cega ↲
- Thumbs up, thumps down ↔ Polegares para cima, polegares para baixo
- 180-degree ↔ 180 graus
- abhorrent ↔ repugnante
- a standout moment ↔ um momento de destaque ↲
- a powerful PR vehicle ↔ um poderoso veículo de relações públicas
- whether the cameras are there or not ↔ estejam as câmeras lá ou não
- holds a grudge ↔ guarda rancor ↲
- by spite ↔ por despeito ↲
- And there lies the rub ↔ E aí é que está o problema ↲
- slam shut ↔ se fechar (rápidamente) ↲
- a vote will not mean a thing ↔ um voto não significará nada ↲
- spell out ↔ soletrar ↲
- getting at ↔ insinuando ↲
- Regardless ↔ Independentemente ↲
- gets booed ↔ receber vaias ↲
- indeed ↔ de fato
- a popularity contest ↔ um concurso de popularidade ↲
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(of feelings or thoughts) slowly becoming stronger. |
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I have a sneaking suspicion that I need more memory in my computer. ↔Eu tenho uma suspeita de que eu preciso de mais memória no meu computador. |  |
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Jamie Oliver is presented as a good example of a celebrity who has harnessed the power of social media to connect with this audience by telling his story. ↔Jamie Oliver é apresentado como um bom exemplo de uma celebridade que tem aproveitado o poder da mídia social para se conectar com esse público por contar a sua história. | |
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The kick came with a resounding thump and set in motion a profound reversal in national fortunes that became known as Thatcherism. ↔O chute veio com um baque retumbante e colocou em movimento uma reversão profunda nas fortunas nacionais, que ficou conhecido como o thatcherismo. | |
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The seven-member council had been split on the issue, and Wynn was the swing vote. ↔O conselho de sete membros tinha sido dividido sobre a questão, e Wynn foi o voto decisivo. | |
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ataque de cólera de criança, birra, pirraça |
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My mom would throw a tantrum if I wouldn’t eat. ↔Minha mãe iria fazer birra, se eu não comesse. | |
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I don’t understand why winter has such a bad rap. How can you hate something so beautiful? | |
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Lay and Pray is the opposite of ground and pound. Lay and Pray consists of getting your opponent on the ground and stalling a decision the entire fight by LAYING on him and PRAYING to win a decision. |
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They’re five games behind the Diamondbacks, whose winning streak halted at nine. ↔São cinco jogos atrás dos Diamondbacks, cuja série de vitórias interrompida às nove. | |
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To “send / lull / fall into a slumber” is to make someone tired or bored. |
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Before I fall into my drunken slumber, can we all just take a second to realize how awesome the action shots from “Hot Fuzz” actually are? | |
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How will I sleep without the dramatic lullaby of police sirens to lull me into a slumber? | |
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Mr Rowe reckons he can complete the route in about 160 days to claim the record. ↔Rowe acha que ele pode completar o percurso em cerca de 160 dias para reivindicar o recorde. | |
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The Russian-Japanese merger was prompted by Russia’s desire to swim with the tide, although Toshiba was neither its initial nor only choice. ↔A fusão russo-japonesa foi motivada pelo desejo da Rússia de nadar com a maré, embora Toshiba sequer fosse a sua escolha única ou a inicial. | |
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If you do, as much as he says he loves you, I’d wager he’ll insist on a pre-nup. ↔Se você o ama, tanto quanto ele diz que te ama, eu aposto que ele vai insistir em um acordo pré-nupcial. | |
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It holds true for job interviews as well as meetings. ↔Ele vale para entrevistas de emprego, bem como para reuniões. | |
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Can you recall what happened last night? ↔Você consegue se lembrar do que aconteceu ontem à noite? | |
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Three cheers for the winner. ↔Três vivas para o vencedor. | |
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The fans cheered their team. ↔Os fãs aplaudiram sua equipe. | |
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Mrs. Mills cheered up when the tea and cake were served. ↔Sra. Mills se animou quando o chá e bolo foram servidos. | |
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Muddy pagans battling to the death as the baying hordes begged for bloodshed. ↔Pagãos enlameados lutando até a morte, enquanto as hordas aos gritos imploravam por derramamento de sangue. | |
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Stone Cold Steve Austin turned heel after joining forces with Mr. McMahon. | |
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heel: In professional wrestling, a “bad” guy. | |
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It is selfish persons who support social mores that interfere with others lives. ↔Pessoas egoístas é que apoiam os costumes sociais que interferem na vida dos outros. | |
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Both women then had tummy tuck operations to fix where their skin had stretched. ↔Ambas as mulheres, em seguida, fizeram abdominoplastia para corrigir onde a pele tinha esticado. | |
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It’s almost amusing, the blind faith some people show in their corporate masters. ↔É quase divertido, a fé cega que algumas pessoas demonstram para com os seus líderes. | |
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Barbie has a standout moment when she says something surprisingly philosophical and well-reasoned. ↔Barbie tem um momento de destaque quando ela diz algo surpreendentemente filosófico e bem fundamentado. | |
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Waters, who feels betrayed by his old mates, still holds a grudge. ↔Waters, que se sente traído por seus antigos companheiros, ainda guarda rancor. | |
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Some informants were motivated by ideology, others by ambition or petty spite. ↔Alguns informantes foram motivadas por ideologia, outros por ambição ou rancor mesquinho. | |
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They are excellent family people, and there in lies the painful rub for me. ↔Eles são excelentes pessoas de família, e aí que está o ponto doloroso para mim. | |
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Most people don’t know what it’s like to see the doors to all your dreams slam shut. ↔A maioria das pessoas não sabe como é ver as portas para todos os seus sonhos se fecharem. | |
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All of those measures help cash flows, but they don’t do a thing for net income. ↔Todas essas medidas ajudam os fluxos de caixa, mas eles não fazem nada para o lucro líquido. | |
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He is gone without having to spell things out. ↔Ele se foi sem ter que explicar tudo. | |
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Vou dizer muito claramente onde queria chegar com a minha pergunta. ↔I will state very plainly what I was getting at with my question. | |
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He will do what he wants, regardless. ↔De qualquer modo, ele fará o que quer. | |
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Regardless of what you think, I’m going to do it. ↔Apesar do que você pensa, isso é o que eu farei. | |
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M. Schumacher looks so genuinely surprised, and hurt, when he gets booed. ↔M. Schumacher parece tão genuinamente surpreso e magoado, quando é vaiado. | |
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For example, if the contest requires an index card, don’t send a piece of paper. ↔Por exemplo, se o concurso exige um cartão de índice, não envie um pedaço de papel. | |
