Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman is in the books, and despite several great fights by the men, the women unquestionably stole the show. Rousey continued to perfect her Rickson Gracie impression by armbarring Kaufman in 54 seconds, and Miesha Tate staged a dramatic comeback to submit Julie Kedzie in one of the best bouts of 2012.
Did Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Ovince St. Preux score dynamic knockouts on the main card last night? Yes. Did Anthony Smith hit a slick triangle on Lumumba Sayers? Absolutely. But nobody is talking about that. People are saying, “Did you see how fast Rousey tapped Kaufman last night? What about that sneaky footsweep to get her down? And did you see Tate vs. Kedzie? That was a war!”
[caption id="attachment_259" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Ronda Rousey continued to dominate. Photo via US Presswire."]
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Sure, there have been big fights in women’s MMA before. Gina Carano vs. “Cyborg” Santos in 2009 was a huge headliner, but that was a different era, and the female side of the sport has come a long, long way since. Olympic-caliber athletes like Rousey and 2004 wrestling silver medalist Sarah McMann are lacing up four-ounce gloves now, and the competition in the cage is evolving accordingly.
Want proof? Tate vs. Kedzie was easily the best fight on the Strikeforce card last night, and female MMA fights are seeing more technical and dramatic finishes than ever. Furthermore, Invicta FC, an all-female organization, put on one of the best MMA shows of 2012 in July. That’s not one of the best female MMA shows of 2012, but one of the best MMA shows in 2012 period.
When Gina Carano’s star began to grow in Elite XC, women’s MMA was still somewhat of a novelty. Her last fight in the organization was originally featured under a Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock main event, after all. But now, especially after Saturday, the athletes are being taken more seriously. Dana White, who has historically been resistant to women’s MMA (at least in the UFC), complimented the women on the card, tweeting “WOW! Now I know who Julie Kedzie (sic) is!!!” and, “Tate is SO tough!!!!”
It may have had a slow start, but it seems like WMMA is finally starting to gain legitimate traction with the media, fans, and the authorities within the sport. It wasn’t an easy road, and Rousey knew that she would have to market herself as a personality as well as an athlete to get attention, at least early on.
Before her fight with Julia Budd in 2011, she said, “If the fans are already there, they’re going to start and appreciate the actual skill and athleticism that goes into fighting, but if you want bring those new people in you’ve got to show them something bright and shiny."
So she played it up. Some would argue she talked her way into a title shot, saying she deserved the opportunity because her against Miesha Tate was more a marketable fight than Tate and Sarah Kaufman, who was thought to be the number one contender at the time. Whether you agree with her tactics or not, she was right: she dominated the fight and generated a lot of interest in women’s MMA. It’s easy to assume she will continue to do both as her career continues on.
In the absence of Gina Carano, women’s MMA needed a star, and now they have one in Rousey. If the fights on Saturday are any indication of what’s to come, more are certainly on the way.
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