The most anticipated women’s MMA event just answered many questions about the legitimacy of Ronda Rousey, the new Strikeforce bantamweight champion.
In traditional Rousey form, the Olympic judo bronze medalist displayed outstanding hip throws, trips and her famous armbars to secure the victory over reigning Strikeforce champion Miesha Tate.
I wish I was there to witness the action live, as watching it on TV does no justice. When the two warriors entered the cage, they both had the look of determination to win. There is no doubt that both Rousey and Tate knew their fight may become an epic stepping stone in women’s MMA.
Upon receiving instructions from the referee, I had a hunch that a touching of the gloves would not take place, as both fighters wanted to tear each others’ heads off. When the bell rang for Round 1, that is exactly what happened.
Tate comes firing at Rousey without even a need to “feel out” the opponent. A one-two combination catches Rousey and they end up in the clinch. Tate tries to take Rousey down but ends up being reversed by the judo powerhouse.
Rousey immediately gains top position with the cross mount and attacks Tate’s arm, securing an armbar.
It looked like Tate was about to have her arm broken from the angle with which Rousey had secured the submission. Tate squirms and Rousey goes for an omoplata instead, but Tate manages to get out of Rousey‘s hold. They stand briefly but Tate gains the dominant back position on Rousey.
Tate works furiously to secure a rear-naked choke but is shaken off by Rousey‘s power. They clinch again, jockeying for position. This goes back and forth for almost the first few minutes of the round until Rousey beautifully utilizes the hip throw on Tate and gains the mount.
Rousey unleashes punches to Tate’s face and again secures the armbar. This time there is no where for Tate to go.
Utilizing her whole body weight, Rousy cranks on Tate’s left arm, and with about 38 seconds left, the referee stops the fight. Tate’s arm is clearly seen broken, and as commentator and former UFC champion Pat Miletich stated, “her arm’s trashed.”
Credit has to be given to Miesha Tate because she never tapped. A true warrior both in and outside of the cage, Tate came in and went out as a fighting warrior. Replays showed the anguish on Tate’s face when Rousey locked in the armbar and cranked for what seemed like an eternity.
Rousey just had the better tools to neutralize Tate’s striking and wrestling. She is a former Olympian who took her skills to a new level in MMA. In my opinion, Ronda Rousey winning the Strikeforce championship just solidified worldwide that judo, martial arts and, more precisely, mixed martial arts is not just a man’s sport anymore.
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