No, men are stronger at the exact same weight than women are, by a significant margin.
I can't believe this is even an issue of debate or misunderstanding on HN.
Go to any gym and watch a 5'6", 165 pound guy bench press, and then watch a woman at the same size with the same experience do so. Men can also jump higher and run faster than women at exactly the same physical measurements.
"Strength and muscle characteristics were examined in biceps brachii and vastus lateralis of eight men and eight women. Measurements included motor unit number, size and activation and voluntary strength of the elbow flexors and knee extensors. Fiber areas and type were determined from needle biopsies and muscle areas by computerized tomographical scanning. The women were approximately 52% and 66% as strong as the men in the upper and lower body respectively. The men were also stronger relative to lean body mass."
> No, men are stronger at the exact same weight than women are, by a significant margin.
This is indisputable.
However, strength only in one factor, and there are many that contribute to the success in an MMA fight.
There are also key differences in how you measure strength and how that matters in a fight.
Daniel Cormier has significantly higher stats around olympic lifts, and routinely manhandles his opponents. Against former champion Jon Jones, however, Jones matched him, and was able to out wrestle the former olympian.
Saying it more plainly, just because men are naturally stronger than women, doesn't mean that men are naturally better fighters.
Rousey's best shot against a comparably sized male fighter, would be an armbar. She is a relatively poor striker. It's why there's even a discussion to be had about her beating male fighters her size - her specialty around armbars. It's pretty obviously understood what comparable male fighters would do to women fighters like Bethe Correia. Everything else would give Rousey a lot of problems. Her ability to grapple with a comparable top-ranked male fighter that is even just 1/3 stronger would be very problematic.
She would have no chance of getting a male fighter to tap out with an armbar. All male fighters know how to defend against an armbar and they are so much stronger she'd never keep one on against a male opponent.
Getting a pro male fighter in an armbar would be unlikely for Rousey however if she got in position I wouldn't bet against her.
An armbar works on the principle of leverage, in this case the bicep muscle vs the same muscles used in a deadlift. If Rousey had a male fighter in an armbar the strength difference is not going to be the deciding factor. Also all fighters know how to defend an armbar, RNC, triangle etc yet they still tap to them.
No. It isn't just a 'contest of strength.' Leverage is very important which is why men can tap out other men. But a certain amount of strength can overcome mechanical advantage and men have that much more strength.
I can't believe this is even an issue of debate or misunderstanding on HN.
Go to any gym and watch a 5'6", 165 pound guy bench press, and then watch a woman at the same size with the same experience do so. Men can also jump higher and run faster than women at exactly the same physical measurements.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8477683
"Strength and muscle characteristics were examined in biceps brachii and vastus lateralis of eight men and eight women. Measurements included motor unit number, size and activation and voluntary strength of the elbow flexors and knee extensors. Fiber areas and type were determined from needle biopsies and muscle areas by computerized tomographical scanning. The women were approximately 52% and 66% as strong as the men in the upper and lower body respectively. The men were also stronger relative to lean body mass."
http://www.quora.com/Are-men-generally-physically-stronger-t...