There are NO guys (professional MMA fighers) that she could beat in the Octagon. Respectfully, this is a fantasy.
> men have a biological advantage
I'm curious what biological advantage going through puberty as a male imparts that going through HRT doesn't take away.
http://fightmedicine.net/uncategorized/a-medical-and-scienti...
>The effects of hormonal therapy over time, in this case testosterone deprivation and estrogen supplementation, are not completely understood. However, what is clear is that transgender individuals that underwent surgery after puberty will retain some male features, such as increased height. Male–>Female transgender patients tend to retain more muscle mass than female–>male transgender patients gain, suggesting that some gender-specific attributes remain. Whether effects such as height will prove beneficial in MMA like they do in other sports such as basketball remains to be seen. Another question is if the fighter is completely transgendered. Taking estrogens without castration will leak out testosterone that can maintain muscle mass. Furthermore, how much estrogen is being taken? If it’s not enough, then muscle strength can be closer to male levels
But this is something that can be measured and has less to do with the fact that the HRT happened after puberty.
In the male league, do some fighters get to refuse to fight others based on bone density differences? I'm thinking not, which is why this restriction seems artificial, sort of like grasping for straws to find a difference (though I'm open to being proven wrong).
That does not discount that there are men currently competing in MMA that Rousey has a realistic and good shot at actually beating.
The average man has weight and musculature advantages over Ronda in the same way that Ken Shamrock, Grizzly Pardoel and Patrick Smith have weight and musculature advantages over Royce Gracie. Despite that, Royce has beaten them all.
Matt Hughes was one of the best in the world, and much more in his prime than Gracie for that fight, and also a student of BJJ.
Yes, men have a distinct and pronounced advantage against any woman, but I flatly reject the notion that any amateur MMA practitioner could best her in the ring, especially given the breadth of talent in MMA. Watch any UFC prelim, and I guarantee that you'd find at least a couple of guys who you'd certainly bet money to lose against Ronda. Beyond that, there are top guys that don't have a good defense against BJJ, and they're often matched up against like competitors for showmanship, and if you think there's no way she could sink an armbar on any of them, I just flat out think you're wrong.
That most of her wins are obvious, and still unpreventable is what makes her scary, and there are indeed plenty of guys she could beat in the octagon.
On the whole, I definitely agree that many of those guys are probably paying her lip service, and that the level of challenge goes up incredibly when facing guys, especially those above Featherweight, but to be fair to her, I actually like her chances against much of the field in fly and bantamweights, minus those at the very top, perhaps.