If there was any doubt that Sarah Kaufman’s game plan for her Aug. 18 fight against Ronda Rousey would be highly geared toward striking, that can now be put to rest.
The top contender for the women’s bantamweight championship recently spoke to MMAjunkie.com Radio and let them know that she’s going to be looking for the knockout.
“It’s no surprise that Ronda doesn’t like being hit,” Kaufman told MMAjunkie.com Radio. “She said that, and I guess you can’t really blame her for not wanting to get hit. It’s not a shocker there for the average person to not want to get hit.
“But I hope she’s been training a lot in the striking department, just for the pressure, because she’s not going to like it.”
Known for her devastating power and relentless assault when she senses that her opponent is weak, Kaufman has finished 10 of her 16 career opponents by way of knockout.
“Ronda hasn’t been in the sport very long, so she hasn’t developed that side of her game yet and is really relying solely on her judo at this point,” Kaufman said. “She’s a good athlete; you can look at her and see that. She moves well, and with her judo, she’s done well.
“I think it’s going to take a while before she has any ground to stand on as far as the striking.”
With only one career loss, a third-round submission to Marloes Coenen in October 2010, Kaufman is currently ranked in the top five among most women’s worldwide pound-for-pound rankings. She holds victories over numerous top contenders including Liz Carmouche, Alexis Davis (twice) and even former Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate.
“Ronda hasn’t fought someone like me yet. It’s going to be a shock for her,” Kaufman said. “I definitely want to test [Ronda’s] chin, for sure,” Kaufman said. “I don’t think Miesha came up with the greatest game plan, just running straight at [her].”
Kaufman herself is a former Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion and will be looking to deface the currently undefeated record of former Olympic Judo silver medalist Rousey.
“It’s hard to stay at the top once you’re at the top,” she said. “Everyone below you is gunning up, and you’ve already reached that pinnacle. That being said, Ronda has only had five fights, and I think she is going to be nervous and is definitely going have the jitters when it comes to how serious my style is vs. her style, as well as caring about having that title. ”
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