Ronda Rousey may be featured fighter for UFC if Strikeforce folds
Ronda Rousey, the biggest name in women’s mixed martial arts, appears to be headed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship ranks with Strikeforce set to fold.
Although UFC leaders have said in the past that there aren’t enough women to form a competitive division, Strikeforce’s bantam-weight champion seems to have swayed their opinion. With two Strikeforce events canceled this fall, it appears UFC is ready to take in their fighters, according to TMZ.com.
Rousey, an Olympic bronze medalist in judo, has become a sensation with one victory after another, almost all by submission.
UFC President Dana White understands she is marketable. He likes the fact that she doesn’t just train to fight, but she enjoys submitting her opponents.
“People who are nasty and technically sound and have that attitude, I love them,” he said of Rousey. “She’s an Olympic medalist and she’s got a great history, but she’s in the gym all the time. She’s a dude in a girl’s body.
“She loves to beat the ... out of people and she’s serious about getting better. She’s not saying, ‘I’m the champ and I’ve beaten everyone in the first round,’ and taking a victory tour. She’s up there in Stockton working with the Diaz brothers, trying to get better.”
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