UFC 190 matchups: Rousey-Correia fight headlines card

UFC 190 MATCHUPS

A breakdown of the fights on the main card of UFC 190 today in Rio de Janeiro, except for the two season title fights for the Brazilian version of "The Ultimate Fighter":

Ronda Rousey (11-0) vs. Bethe Correia (9-0)

CLASS: For Rousey's women's bantamweight title

LINE: Rousey minus-1,700

STORYLINE: Not much mystery here. Rousey just might be the most dominant athlete in the world, a testament to her unrivaled skill set and a lack of great competition in the division. Only one of her 11 professional opponents has made it out of the first round, and most don't last a minute. Correia has ability and confidence, as evidenced by the fact she's been calling out Rousey since her Ultimate Fighting Championship debut, but in the end she's probably not even a speed bump on Rousey's road to history. The Brazilian is more like one of those reflectors that separates lanes on the highway. Even though Correia is undefeated and one of the world's top fighters, the matchup is seen as so one-sided that Rousey has taken to discussing the fact she wants to let Correia last a few minutes to make her suffer longer for comments a few months ago that may or may not been a reference to her father's suicide. In the end, that's just promotional talk. Expect Rousey to wrap this one up in about 90 seconds.

PICK: Rousey by first-round submission

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (22-10) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (21-6)

CLASS: Light heavyweight

LINE: Rua minus-195

STORYLINE: Rua, a former light heavyweight champion, has lost four of his past five fights and finds himself in desperate need of a victory. He still possesses a great deal of power, but has become far too reliant on trying to end things with one big shot. His current slide has prompted a move back to Chute Boxe to train with his old coach, Rafael Cordeiro. That should help Rua recapture some of the magic that has all but vanished from his game. He also should have confidence of having emerged victorious over Nogueira once before, when they met in PRIDE, in what was the best fight of 2005. Nogueira, on the other hand, is out to avenge that defeat. He's nearing the end of a storied career and doesn't have much else to fight for at this point. When he's good, he can be very good. He just hasn't been healthy enough in recent years to show it. Rua may show flashes, but he will wear down and leave the door open for Nogueira to steal the victory.

PICK: Nogueira by third-round knockout

Stefan Struve (29-7) vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (34-9-1, 1 No Contest)

CLASS: Heavyweight

LINE: Struve minus-170

STORYLINE: While it feels as if Struve has been around forever, he is just 27 years old. He's the tallest fighter in the organization at 7 feet and possesses a well-rounded attack. Struve's career has been sidetracked by a career-threatening heart ailment, but that appears to be behind him. He looked cautious the last time out before getting knocked out by Alistair Overeem. That may have been the nerves coming back from the medical scare. Expect Struve to begin to resemble his old self in this one against a veteran in Nogueira, has been around the sport for the better part of two decades. Nogueira has lost three of four and was knocked out cold by Las Vegan Roy Nelson in his last fight, more than a year ago. Struve is more than capable on the ground, but that's Nogueira's realm. With the Brazilian's weakening chin and a pronounced reach advantage, expect Struve to try to keep this standing and do some early head-hunting.

PICK: Struve by first-round knockout

Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva (18-7, 1 No Contest) vs. Soa Paleli (22-4)

CLASS: Heavyweight

LINE: Paleli minus-200

STORYLINE: Paleli has made the most of his second chance in the UFC, winning four of five fights since re-signing with the organization in 2013. He is one of the strongest fighters on the current roster and uses that strength to push opponents around. Paleli is particularly dangerous when he gets the fight to the ground, where he is adept at quickly working to top position and utilizing a dangerous ground-and-pound game. Silva is certainly no slouch, but he has lost two straight fights by first-round knockouts. More concerning than the results have been Silva's performances, as he has not been the aggressive fighter who has wins over Overeem, Fedor Emelianenko and Andrei Arlovski. Paleli has a great opportunity to add a big-name win to his growing resume.

PICK: Paleli by first-round knockout

Claudia Gadelha (12-1) vs. Jessica Aguilar (19-4)

CLASS: Women's strawweight

LINE: Gadelha minus-450

STORYLINE: While the mixed martial arts world has been buzzing about women's strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Gadelha almost derailed her title reign before it even began. Gadelha and Jedrzejczyk fought to a razor-thin split decision in December. Jedrzejczyk got the nod, went on to win the title and successfully defend it and is now a breakout star. Gadelha has been on the sidelines waiting to get back into the cage, and she now has that opportunity. A win probably would give her another shot at Jedrzejczyk, but it won't be easy. Aguilar, a former World Series of Fighting champion, is making her UFC debut and is a worthy adversary, having not lost a fight since 2010. Gadelha is talented and finishes fights at a high rate for this division, but this line is probably way too big. Bettors looking for value might want to take a shot on Aguilar.

PICK: Gadelha by decision

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow @adamhilllvrj on Twitter.