We can now call Ronda Rousey queen of the armbar, and the Strikeforce Womens bantamweight champion. She defeated Miesha Tate for the belt on Saturday night, by what else, another armbar.
This was an extreme version as Tate ended up with a broken arm after it was done.
Rousey has finished every opponent by armbar in her five fight career, and as the 25-year-old strengthens other aspects of her game, she will only become tougher.
Rousey is a former US Olympian from the 2008 Games in Judo, and she has consistently displayed her awesome grappling skills since beginning her MMA career.
Tate brought the fight to Rousey from the opening of round one, but Rousey not only withstood the charge, she was quickly able to flip the script. She went on the offensive herself shortly thereafter attempting an armbar in the first round.
Check out the highlights from this exciting match:
And you thought only the men had knockdown, drag out battles. This was an epic clash that certainly could render a rematch, if Tate is up to it mentally.
Suffering an injury like that in a fight can do damage psychologically, even after the physical aspect has healed.
We will have to see if Tate wants to get back in the cage with Queen Armbar. Rousey’s performance is quickly making her one of the biggest names in female MMA.
The two women traded barbs in the media leading up to the fight, and it’s a rare occurrence when the actual fight lives up to the hype. This one certainly did, as both women displayed tons of heart, but Rousey’s strength and submission skills were ultimately too much.
Her big victory over Tate couldn’t have come at a better time for the sport.
The largest draw in the sport Crisitane “Cyborg” Santos had been rolling through opponents, including legend Gina Carano, but she was suspended for the use of anabolic steroids in January.
Rousey’s exciting win definitely shifts the focus off that unfortunate event, back to the action in the cage.
If Rousey continues to improve her striking skills to enhance her stellar grappling and submission skills, her reign as bantamweight champion will be a long one.
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