Ronday Rousey is, by a wide margin, the biggest name in female mixed martial arts. Unfortunately, she’s stuck fighting in Strikeforce.
Eighteen months ago, this would have been fine. But now, with Zuffa having sapped much of the life from the second-largest MMA promotion in the world by cherry-picking fighters, it’s a company seemingly devoid of direction and anticipation.
A fight with Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (formerly Santos) is still a possibility, but Cyborg is currently serving a 12-month suspension after failing for stanozolol in December. And even if Cyborg is allowed back in the company after her suspension is up, there’s no certainty that she’ll be able to make 135 pounds and no real indication from Rousey that she’d be willing to move up to take the fight.
What’s the future for females in mixed martial arts? UFC president Dana White has slowly relented on his proclamation that women won’t fight in the Octagon, and most of that is due to Rousey. There is no question that Rousey has the kind of superstar potential that could see her eventually headline UFC pay per view events or FOX television cards.
But it feels like we’re still a long way from seeing that come to fruition. Rousey, though, believes it will eventually happen:
“I think it’s a distinct possibility. Women are tough. Women are clever. We’re going to find a way to get everywhere. You can’t stop us. We’ll be there at some point.”
You have to admire Rousey’s confidence. It’s one of the things that helped turn her into a star.
Will we eventually see Rousey and other females participating—and potentially headlining—UFC events? I think so. And if it happens, most of the credit should go to Rousey for her efforts in getting female fights spotlighted.
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