They both have excellent grappling and a finishing move(arm bar and leg locks respectively) that is hard to counter. In male MMA however the depth of competition limits palhares while the lack of competition in female MMA allows Ronda to reign supreme with her arm bar.
Yeah, it's ironic that she's seen as elevating WMMA when it's more like she's exposed it. She's shown that there almost no women fighters with decent sub defense.
What limits Palhares is composure. Rousey has shown composure and on a big stage in her short career.
Rousey has much higher IQ, way more diverse takedowns game, plays the top game much more and know when to scramble and she goes for a submission that is higher percentage.
I feel like she may be a one trick pony as well, however, there aren't really many female fighters that can legitimately KO anybody in their way, Cyborg aside. I think this makes her "safe" to a certain extent. With that said, her stand-up isn't outright horrible, either.
cyborg can't KO anybody either, check her record. the myth that cyborg is a one hit quitter need to stop. she hit jan fucking finney like one hundred times and still nothing. on topic, lets see what happens when ronda can't get the takedown/trip and see if she folds or adapts to the fight and wins another way.
Funny, when a bjj guy has good takedowns, he isn't consider a one trick pony, he is a "bjj guy with good wrestling". Rousey could ground and pound the shit of their opponents since he always get mount, could choke them too, hell, she could even rip some knees given she trains under Gokor. She is not a striker, but her grappling is complete as it could be possibly be.
as far as going for that one signature submission, yes but to me a big difference is the sense of urgency and the effectiveness of the style. ronda goes for it and has a good skill set to get the takedown and find a good position for the sub, and her judo background really helps her do that really quickly and with a high level of control. palhares just expects that he will end up on the ground and from there it is a given that he will get a leg lock. it just doesn't happen. he doesnt have a plan b. when ronda lost the first armbar on tate she kept going for it. she is actually pretty tenacious. palhares is just meh... lost the foot, what now... and in that split second of doubt he is already tko'd.
