Filed under: Strikeforce
In a fight with major implications for the future of women’s mixed martial arts, former Olympic judo competitor Ronda Rousey needed just 39 seconds to submit Julia Budd with an arm bar at Friday night’s Strikeforce Challengers event.
Rousey’s ground game is simply on a different level from Budd — and from just about every other woman in the world — and it didn’t take her long to establish that: As soon as she got Budd down, Rousey effortlessly transitioned into mount, then cranked on Budd’s arm and forced her to tap.
“I got tagged a couple more times than I would like to, but I’m stoked,” Rousey said afterward.
Rousey is now 4-0 in her professional MMA career, with all four wins coming by first-round arm bar in less than a minute. Rousey could be a good future opponent for Strikeforce 145-pound champion Cris Cyborg, but she said after the fight that she’d rather move down to 135 pounds and fight for the title there.
“I really want to have a title shot at Miesha Tate,” Rousey said.
Whatever weight class she’s fighting in, Rousey is a force. She has the potential to be a great crossover star for women’s MMA.
In other Strikeforce Challengers action:
— Lumumba Sayers needed just 28 seconds to knock out Antwain Britt, pummeling Britt with hard punches against the cage and finishing him off with a devastating uppercut.
— Adlan Amagov got a highlight-reel knockout of Anthony Smith in the first round, swinging wildly and connecting with a huge overhand right and then finishing him off with four more bombs on the ground. The always exciting Amagov is now 9-1-1 in his MMA career.
— Trevor Smith submitted T.J. Cook with a guillotine choke in the first round. Smith put on a solid showing and improved his pro record to 9-1, with eight of his nine wins coming by submission.
— Derek Brunson beat Nate James by unanimous decision, 30-27 on all three judges’ scorecards, in a fairly dull battle to get the Showtime televised card started.