Ronda Rousey (L) works the armbar submission (R) against Sarah Kaufman – Photo via Facebook.com/Strikeforce
Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion Ronda ‘Rowdy’ Rousey (6-0) is reportedly bound for the Ultimate Fighting Championship according to a report by TMZ, and confirmed by MMAFighting.com.
Rousey will become the first female fighter signed by the UFC and will make her debut soon.
Also making headlines is news that the upcoming January 12 Showtime event will be Strikeforce’s last as the promotion will be closing it’s doors forever.
The Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion has fought her final fight for the promotion and is set to make her UFC debut in the near future, TMZ reported Thursday night. The Web site also reported that the recently announced Jan. 12 Strikeforce card in Oklahoma City will be the promotion’s last.
MMAFighting.com confirmed with sources close to the promotion that both news items are in fact true and more information is expected to be released early next week.
Fans have seen the writing on the wall for awhile for the Showtime promotion, with many having already called for the amalgamation of fighters from Strikeforce and the UFC.
UFC president Dana White had always said the field was to small to promote women’s mixed martial arts but has warmed up considerably following the rise in popularity of Rousey.
This is certainly a blessing for the UFC who has seen the “watering down” of events with so many shows scheduled in the year. The boost in talent will help keep cards topped with talent even when fights are cancelled due to injury.