Rowdy Ronda Rousey is officially the first true star of women’s MMA, and a win over Sarah Kaufman will only expedite her ascent to household-name status.
Rousey headlining a card over male fighters is a statement in this frequently male-dominated sport. The fact that it’s the second time she’s been in this position confirms her star level.
Kaufman is no pushover, though.
Rousey defeated former champion Miesha Tate in her last bout, but Kaufman also owns a victory over Tate. Defeating Tate is no simple or frequent occurrence. She’s 12-3 in her MMA career, and these two ladies have accounted for two of the three losses.
This is a classic example of two different styles clashing, and the winner will be the fighter who can impose her will and style on her opponent.
Here is a look at the entire card and how you can catch the action:
When: Saturday, August 18, 2012, 10 p.m. ET
Where: Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, CA
TV: Showtime
Live Stream: Showtime Anytime (paid service)
Complete Card
Main Card
- Ronda Rousey (5-0) vs. Sarah Kaufman (15-1) – Women’s Bantamweight Championship
- Ronaldo Souza (15-3, 1 NC) vs. Derek Brunson (9-1)
- Roger Bowling (11-2) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (12-3)
- Lumumba Sayers (6-2) vs. Anthony Smith (16-8)
- T.J. Cook (12-4) vs. Ovince St. Preux (11-5)
Prelims
- Miesha Tate (12-3) vs. Julie Kedzie (16-10)
- Bobby Green (18-5) vs. Matt Ricehouse (6-0)
- Adlan Amagov (9-2-1) vs. Keith Berry (11-9)
- Germaine de Randamie (2-2) vs. Hiroko Yamanaka (12-1)
Card Analysis and Predictions
Prelims
Green has far more experience, but Ricehouse has begun his career 5-0.
Green has had the majority of his fights on the west coast, and he is the reigning lightweight King of the Cage. He was born in California and fights out of Fontana, so he’ll be enjoying a decided home-field advantage.
If Ricehouse can pull off a victory over the far more experienced Green on his home turf, it will make a significant statement.
I think this bout will be close, but I predict a decision victory for Bobby Green.
The other bout in the prelim section of the card that jumps out at me is Tate vs. Kedzie.
Tate is returning from her nasty defeat at the hands of Rousey in March. Rousey dislocated Tate’s elbow with the arm bar, as you can see below:
My prediction is a win by decision for Tate over Kedzie.
Here are my predictions for the other fights on the prelim card:
- Yamanaka over Randamie by submission
- Amagov over Berry by TKO
Main Card
Sayers is a grappler by primary discipline, but he has KO power in his fists. He displayed that in his KO of Antwain Britt in November.
Smith has a ton of heart, and he isn’t bashful about his attack, but I expect Sayers to handle him. This fight has spectacular KO written all over it.
My prediction is a second-round KO win for Sayers.
In the main event, Kaufman will push Rousey hard, and I believe she will be the first to land significant strikes against Rousey. I’m even predicting Rousey’s face will be marked a bit by the time this one ends.
The outcome will depend on whether Rousey can maintain her composure and stick to her game plan. If she gets hit and abandons her relentless approach to take the fight to the ground, she’ll be in trouble.
I think she’ll stay composed and pull out a hard-fought, tough, late submission victory over Kaufman. This one won’t be as pretty as her previous five fights, but a win is a win.
Here are my predictions for the other fights on the main card:
- Cook over St. Preux by decision
- Bowling over Saffiedine by decision
- Brunson over Souza by TKO
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