Even if Ronda Rousey loses to current Strikeforce bantamweight champion, Miesha Tate, I believe Ronda will see more action in the cage in 2012 than Tate does. That's saying a lot considering Ronda is lower on the MMAWeekly Women's Pound-for-Pound MMA Rankings list than Miesha Tate.
Here's MMAWeekly's most up-to-date rankings list for women's MMA (01/31/12). Each woman's previous rank is listed in parentheses. Cris Cyborg Santos is off the list since testing positive for using banned substances after her fight with new number 10 fighter, Hiroko Yamanaka.
WOMEN'S POUND-FOR-POUND (all weight classes)
1. Megumi Fujii (2)
2. Sarah Kaufman (3)
3. Miesha Tate (4)
4. Marloes Coenen (5)
5. Zoila Gurgel (6)
6. Tara LaRosa (7)
7. Rosi Sexton (8)
8. Alexis Davis (9)
9. Ronda Rousey (10)
10. Hiroko Yamanaka (n/a)
Strikeforce
Much to the dismay of many women's MMA fans, Sarah Kaufman was not granted her next-in-line contender spot against champion, Miesha Tate. Instead, that opportunity has fallen to Ronda Rousey, number 9 on the list.
Hopefully, Miesha and Sarah can have their "date" in the cage (in 2012) to allow Miesha a chance to avenge her loss to Sarah--and perhaps, provide Sarah with another shot at the title--contingent on whether Miesha retains her championship by defeating Ronda on March 3rd.
Word on the street is that Ronda "talked her way into a title shot". That may very well be true. Ronda, who won a bronze medal in judo at the Olympics, is a sound-bite queen, providing a non-stop torrent of quotable conversations and trash-talking like a junior Chael Sonnen. Miesha has come a long way with her ability to be comfortable responding to endless questions from the media, being photographed and appearing on video and television shows, like "Inside MMA" on HDNet, for instance.
Both Ronda and Miesha have been on a whirlwind media tour, being interviewed by the who's-who of the MMA media community, to promote their upcoming Strikeforce bout on March 3rd on Showtime.
Next Fights for Ronda Rousey
Miesha Tate has a loyal fan base. I'm sure they would like to see her fight more often. But, I'm a "Rowdy" Ronda fan and I'd like to see her fight more often. I find Ronda fascinating. With each fight, Ronda's skill set will improve and she'll gain valuable experience in the cage.
I'm well aware that some fans will always pick against Ronda--no matter who she fights. I felt the same way about UFC fighter, Rashad Evans. It seems like I picked against him 17 times. He won every match! The one time I picked him to win, he lost, against Lyoto Machida.
Based on the MMAWeekly rankings, there are three fights that I would love to see (listed in order). These fights would be contested at 135 lbs.
Ronda Rousey is currently ranked ninth on the pound for pound list.
Ronda Rousey vs Sarah Kaufman (2): With Kaufman being the second baddest female on the planet, according to the rankings, I believe Ronda should set her sights here. Plus, there's a lot of bad blood brewing with fans wanting Ronda to get her come-uppance. This fight would resolve that one way or the other. Ronda's trash talking might open up a torrent of resentful insults from Sarah that will have fans picking sides and arguing loyally for their favorite fighter.
Ronda Rousey vs Marloes Coenen (4): former Strikeforce champion, Marloes Coenen, would have to be reinstated to Strikeforce first. This would be an excellent test for Rousey against an experienced MMA fighter with strong kick-boxing skills. Marloes talks trash and likes to stir the pot now and again. She and Ronda would promote the heck out of this fight.
Ronda Rousey vs Alexis Davis (8): Alexis Davis is scheduled to face Sarah Davis on March 3rd. Their Strikeforce fight will be broadcast on Showtime Extreme. Completing the year with a fight against Alexis allows Ronda the opportunity to clean out the top contenders in the division or to find her new place in the rankings based on her win-loss record after each battle.
Sara McMann will face Ronda Rousey one day
Sara McMann, age 31, is another Olympian turned MMA fighter. Sara is undefeated with five fights on her record. She currently fights for the ProElite organization. Sara earned a silver medal in wrestling, making her a formidable opponent for Ronda and the rest of the 135ers.
Source: Sherdog, all sources noted
More from this contributor:
Cris Cyborg Santos Tested Positive for Steroids, Suspended for One Year: Fan Reaction
Miesha's Not Happy, Sarah's Not Happy, Alexis Davis Isn't Even Mentioned: Fan's View
Strikeforce Contender in Waiting, Sarah Kaufman Could Use a Dose of WWE Smack Talk Training
Sara McMann Wins Fight, Says All '135ers Will Have a Hard Time Defending My Take Downs'
Doctor Stoppage Win for Marianna Kheyfets Vs Heather Clark XFC 16
Cheryl Ragsdale started out boxing and has added kicks and BJJ so she can practice MMA. She trains with Keith Florian and UFC Fighter Kenny Florian at Florian Martial Arts - follow @thatgirlisfunny
