LAS VEGAS -- It required more work than any before it, but UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey got her eighth consecutive arm bar victory.
Rousey (8-0) successfully defended the UFC 135-pound title for a second time Saturday, submitting rival Miesha Tate 58 seconds into the third round at UFC 168. It was the first time a Rousey opponent has made it out of the first round.
Immediately after referee Mario Yamasaki called off the bout, Tate (13-5) stood and extended her hand to congratulate the champion. Rousey looked at the gesture and then turned and walked away, which drew loud boos from the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The second female title fight in UFC history featured an insane pace. The two women met immediately in the center of the Octagon and let their hands go. Rousey landed her first takedown soon after, when she caught Tate with a kick.
Working from her back, Tate looked to catch Rousey in a triangle, which ignited the mostly anti-Rousey crowd. Rousey, as she demonstrated throughout the fight, was just too physical for Tate. She lifted her into the air and broke the potential choke.
Tate sat up and landed a takedown of her own, but Rousey countered with her own triangle. Eventually the two would scramble back to the feet, where Rousey routinely used Tate's aggression against her.
When Tate moved forward, Rousey would catch her momentum and toss her to the floor.
The second round was all Rousey, as Tate did well defending the armbar but could not stay on her feet. She did back off Rousey with several hard upkicks from her back, but couldn't defend another takedown after she got to her feet.
Near the end of the frame, Rousey moved into full mount and assaulted Tate with punches. The challenger looked exhausted headed to her corner for the second time.
Tate had little to offer in the third. Rousey landed a short right hand before dragging her prey to the floor. Tate did attempt to scramble to a better position, but Rousey quickly transitioned into the arm bar and produced an immediate tap.
Rousey, a former U.S. Olympian in Judo, caps off a perfect year in which she submitted Liz Carmouche in the first-ever UFC female fight and coached opposite Tate in "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series. UFC president Dana White announced after the fight that Rousey will next face Sara McMann at UFC 170 in Las Vegas on Feb. 22.