Ronda Rousey (click to enlarge)

Oh. my. goodness. Wow. Going into the Ronda Rousey vs Sarah Kaufman Strikeforce Bantamweight Championship fight, I thought that win or lose, Sarah would be the first opponent to push Ronda to a second round. Guess not. With breathtaking ease, Rousey took the aggression straight to Kaufman, firing off a combination of strikes that pushed Sarah back into the cage, leading to a clinch. In retrospect, once the clinch happened it was the beginning of the end. Rousey took Kaufman to the ground out of the clinch, establishing a dominant top position. After a few punches, the grappling began. Everybody who knows anything about Rousey knows her signature move is the armbar. Sarah knows it, too. No doubt they spent weeks on how to prevent or escape that hold. It didn’t matter one bit. Sarah couldn’t stop it. Ronda went for it and the best Sarah could do was postpone the inevitable by locking her arms. But once Rousey managed to break Sarah’s lock, it was over. Tap or snap. Sarah wisely chose to tap out instead of getting her arm snapped.

click to enlarge

This is some devastating run Ronda is on, beating every opponent by first round armbar including two former champions, Kaufman and Miesha Tate. Cris “Cyborg” Santos says she wants to fight Ronda (at 145 lbs, not 135), and if she passes all of her substance tests when she returns, that’s the biggest women’s match since Cyborg vs Gina Carano. I think that considering Cyborg is coming off an anabolic steroid suspension and Ronda has attracted a whole new audience for women’s mixed martial arts, that it is up to Cyborg to come down to 135, not Ronda to go up to 145, even if Ronda did drop down to 135 for the Miesha Tate fight. Cyborg is in no position to force Ronda to do anything. If Cyborg doesn’t want to, or can’t, come down to 135, then she can trash talk all she wants. Ronda should just move on. Don’t take the bait.

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135 lb Champion “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey.
(Getty Images)

Rousey the 135 pound Champion defended her title against challenger Sarah Kaufman.  Many thought Kaufman’s experience and striking ability would be a tough challenge for Rousey to over come.  There was nothing difficult for Rousey in this fight.  She took Kaufman down early and got the submission victory at 54 seconds.  Rousey has only had one fight that went longer than one minute.  That fight was against Miesha Tate when the fight went 4:27, Rousey claimed the title in that March fight with an arm bar.

The next fight for Rousey will most likely be against former champion Cyborg Santos.  That would be an intriguing fight and would likely be a great one.  Santos striking is the best in womans MMA and we already know what Rousey is bringing to the table.  It could be the highest rated women’s MMA fight in History.

Rousey is very popular and her popularity will only get greater with her submission victories.  Not quit as popular as Gina Corano was a little over 3 years ago when she was on top of the division, Rousey is getting close to that level though.  The myth could grow to the point she may reach the level Mike Tyson in the 1980s.  The only thing that might hold her back has nothing to do with her fighting but rather how she acts outside of the cage.  She does not carry herself like a superstar, Rousey comes across more as an everyday person in interviews.  If she continues her demolition of the women’s division superstar appeal may not matter.  The eyes of the MMA world will be on her even more in her next fight and we will have to see how she handles all of the attention.

Rousey (left) defends her belt for the first time by (you guessed it) first round armbar

Ronda Rousey continues to amaze the MMA world, cruising to yet another first round armbar victory in one minute, this time against Sarah Kaufman. Rushing Kaufman from the opening horn, the challenger seemed to have no answers for the champion who defended her belt tonight for the first time. Rousey was in position to get the arm just twenty seconds in, and although Kaufman was able to protect her arm for a little while, it proved futile in the end.

Ronda Rousey has taken the women’s MMA world by storm, still yet to make it to the second round in any of her fights. After the fight’s conclusion, being interviewed by Mauro Ranallo, Rousey called out her nemesis Cris Cyborg saying she would be Cyborg’s first fair fight and offering her a fight in the parking lot that Cyborg asked for earlier in the week. The top two women in the sport seem to be on a crash course to fight one another.

We also saw a quick finish in the Jacare fight, with Ronaldo Souza winning his first fight by KO and doing it in impressive fashion; finishing Derek Brunson 41 seconds into the fight with punches.

Main card (Showtime)

• Bantamweight Championship bout:  Ronda Rousey (c) vs.  Sarah Kaufman

Rousey defeated Kaufman via submission (armbar) at 0:54 of round 1.

• Middleweight bout:  Ronaldo Souza vs.  Derek Brunson

Souza defeated Brunson via KO (punches) at 0:41 of round 1.

• Welterweight bout:  Tarec Saffiedine vs.  Roger Bowling

Saffiedine defeated Bowling via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

• Middleweight bout:  Lumumba Sayers vs.  Anthony Smith

Smith defeated Sayers via submission (triangle choke) at 3:52 of round 1.

• Light Heavyweight bout:  Ovince St. Preux vs.  T.J. Cook

St. Preux defeated Cook via KO (punch) at 0:20 of round 3.

Preliminary card (Showtime Extreme)

• Bantamweight bout:  Miesha Tate vs.  Julie Kedzie

Tate defeated Kedzie via submission (armbar) at 3:28 of round 3.

• Middleweight bout:  Adlan Amagov vs.  Keith Berry

Amagov defeated Berry via TKO at 0:48 of round 1.

• Featherweight bout:  Hiroko Yamanaka vs.  Germaine de Randamie

de Randamie defeated Yamanaka via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

• Lightweight bout:  Bobby Green vs.  Matt Ricehouse

Green defeated Ricehouse via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

Image courtesy SBNation.com

MAIN CARD RESULTS

• Ronda Rousey def. Sarah Kaufman via armbar – Round 1, 0:54
• Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza def. Derek Brunson via KO (punches) – Round 1, 0:41
• Tarec Saffiedine def. Roger Bowling via unanimous decision
• Ovince St Preux def. TJ Cook via KO (punch) – Round 3, 0:20

PRELIM CARD RESULTS

• Miesha Tate def. Julie Kedzie via armbar – Round 3, 3:38
• Adlan Amagov def. Keith Berry via TKO (leg kick and punches) – Round 1, 0:48
• Germaine de Randamie def. Hiroko Yamanaka via unanimous decision
• Bobby Green def. Matt Ricehouse via unanimous decision

Strikeforce bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey quickly overwhelmed former champion Sarah Kaufman en route to a familiar armbar submission finish just 54 seconds into the Strikeforce main event.

The Canadian challenger was gracious in defeat, acknowledging the champion’s prowess. Rousey in turn also acknowledged Kaufman’s acumen.

The main event culminated a night of entertaining fights.

Welcome back to The Crossfire.

MMA Crossfire Expert Cassie Wiseman checks in with the post-amble:

Image courtesy Steve Bartlett

Cassie is a mixed martial artist with over five years of study. Training primarily in South Korea, she has black belts in Taekwondo, Hapkido, and Muay Thai kickboxing. A proud Canadian from Roberts Arm, Newfoundland, she files for The Crossfire having recently returned from South Korea. She also blogs for Postmedia Networks’ Womens Fight Club website.

STRIKEFORCE: ROUSEY VS KAUFMAN

Ovince St. Preux  vs. T.J. Cook 

Wiseman: These two put on a show for the first two rounds, but seconds into the third round OSP threw a punch that turned out the lights for Cook. The power of OSP was able to wear on Cook throughout the fight and he didn’t lose any of that power after 10 minutes of heavy battle. Cook put on a great show, but slowed as the fight went on. When trying to pressure OSP he took some more punishment; heneeded to block and check the kicks and counter more. OSP once again showed his power that can be used at any point in the fight.

Lumumba “Heavy Hands” Sayers vs. Anthony “Lionheart” Smith 

Wiseman: Smith is just too diverse for Sayers. He has solid standup and can transition on the mat. Sayers has power, but was going against a versatile fighter. Smith looked impressive starting off with constantly improving standup, but no one can ever forget his submission game.

Tarec “Sponge” Saffiedine vs. “Relentless” Roger Bowling 

Wiseman: Bowling silenced any critics who were questioning his gas tank going into this match. He was constantly putting pressure on Saffiedine and displayed big power with every punch and kick that he fired. Saffiedine constantly put on a show with his kicks and seemed impossible to takedown. Ultimately it was the superior combinations of Saffiedine, his ability to stuff takedowns and ending the third round with a submission possibility.

Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza vs. Derek Brunson

Wiseman: People have been talking about Souza working on his striking and he certainly showed that early tonight in the first round. We have known Souza for his power, but the accuracy that he showed tonight was textbook. Brunson rushed in too quickly maybe not taking Souza’s striking seriously, but Souza made a point tonight to Brunson and the rest of the division.

MMA CROSSFIRE RELATED LINKS:

Opposites attract, as Rousey meets Kaufman for Strikeforce title
kandrews@postmedia.com

Kenai Andrews on Twitter

cwmmacrossfire@gmail.com

Cassie Wiseman on Twitter

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• Strikeforce Rousey vs. Kaufman Weigh-ins Live, Friday at 6:45 pm ET (mmaweekly.com)
• MMA Crossfire – Strikeforce: Rousey vs Kaufman predictions (o.canada.com)
• Rousey vows to choke challenger Kaufman to death (gantdaily.com)

While the undercard is a little light, the main card is a legitimate must-see bout as Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey defends her title against former champion Sarah Kaufman in what is easily the toughest fight of the former Olympian’s short career.

Will the burgeoning superstar retain the title and continue her ascent to the top of the sport or will Kaufman emerge as a two-time champion?

Check out the live results and analysis to find out.

* * * * * * * *

Pre-fight thoughts:

- Strikeforce/Showtime really, really dropped the ball by having Miesha Tate and Julie Kedzie on the preliminary portion of the card in a major way.

Whoever won this fight was likely to be the next person to challenge the main event winner for the title, so that alone should have put this fight on the main card rather than Sayers/Smith or Cook/OSP. Everyone in the industry echoed those thoughts pre-fight, and then Tate and Kedzie went out and delivered the best fight I’ve seen this year.

Not the best female fight of the year – the best fight of this entire MMA year to date. It was a tremendous back-and-forth that hit all the marks you look for in a great fight – striking, submissions, resiliency, near finishes, and in the end, an impressive stoppage. Nothing like wasting a great fight on Showtime Extreme!

- Seeing a few of my colleagues and contemporaries taking the “Kaufman is more savvy and has more experience” track in picking the Canadian. Both are correct statements, but it’s not like we haven’t seen numerous “more savvy, more experienced” veterans get trucked by emerging talents in the past.

- Totally unrelated to MMA: can’t wait for Season 7 of Dexter. Such a fun show.

- No, I didn’t fall asleep; Showtime somehow went over the allotted time for Real Steel, pushing back the fight card. Just getting through the intro videos and yapping now.

- One positive right out of the gate: Pat Miletich as an analyst. He’s so great; insightful, articulate without trying to talk too much and show how smart he is. Frank Shamrock should really take notes… and talk less.

- Strikeforce announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. creeps me out; not really sure why either.

- Mike Beltran should make an appearance as “the third man in the cage” at least once in these five fights, and that’s excellent because he has the best moustache in the history of MMA moustaches. Yes, his moustache is better than Don Frye’s moustache.

TJ Cook (12-4) vs. Ovince St. Preux (11-5)

I expected this to be a showcase for Ovince St. Preux, and while TJ Cook had his moments in the first, this was all OSP, who got the better of the exchanges in an entertaining first round, controlled the slowed down action in the second, and then ripped off a one-punch knockout with a monster left hand to start the third to get the victory.

This fight was a perfect example of why I declared OSP a “good but not great” prospect in the Punch Drunk Predictions. He has all kinds of athleticism and you can see the potential bubbling under the surface, but he’s still far too sloppy for a guy who now has 17 fights under his belt. St. Preux strikes me as a guy who could benefit from moving to a bigger, more experienced fight camp. Official Result: Ovince St. Preux defeats TJ Cook by Knockout (Punch) at 0:20 of Round 3.

Lumumba Sayers (6-2) vs. Anthony Smith (16-8)

Remember how I said this felt like a showcase for Lumumba Sayers earlier today? It kind of was, except he went out and made a complete mess of it, leading to Anthony Smith earning a submission finish.

Sayers looked to wrestle as the fight began, but Smith defended well and ended up in mount. The 24-year-old landed a little bit of ground-and-pound before Sayers slipped out the back door, leading to another grappling scramble where Sayers takes Smith’s back standing before Smith tries for a kimura to force the break. Shortly after that, Sayers secured a takedown, but as he followed Smith to the ground, he fell into a triangle choke. Official Result: Anthony Smith defeats Lumumba Sayers by Submission (Triangle Choke) at 3:52 of Round 1.

Roger Bowling (11-2) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (12-3)

This fight played out as expected, with Saffiedine showing the superior technique and precision, while Bowling packed all kinds of power into every strike he threw. It was one of those fights destined to create a scoring controversy, as Bowling was the one pressing the action and landing the heavy shots, but Saffiedine countered affectively throughout, and didn’t miss too many opportunities to connect.

My card had it for Saffiedine (30-27), as the Team Quest trainee controlled the action in the clinch, and was the more active of the two fighters, especially in the third where he spent the final 45 seconds on Bowling’s back. Thankfully, the judges saw it the same way. Official Result: Tarec Saffiedine defeats Roger Bowling by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

Between bout thoughts:

- Showtime is stretching out the broadcast with interviews and little preview pieces of the upcoming competitors. It would be great if Heidi Androl wasn’t awful at interviewing people, and the preview videos weren’t just each man offering as many MMA cliches as possible.

- I would be really surprised if Brunson won this fight. It’s not that he’s not talented, but he isn’t in the same level as “Jacare,” and that should be apparent early.

Ronaldo Souza (15-3) vs. Derek Brunson (9-1)

Go read the last sentence of the “Between bout thoughts,” and then let me tell you that “Jacare” absolutely blasted Brunson with a counter-right hook as he was pressing in. Souza stopped punching believing the bout was over, saw Brunson trying to stand and Mike Beltran letting them continue, drilled him once more, and then walked away in victory. Tremendous performance, and one that should set up a rematch with Strikeforce middleweight champ Luke Rockhold. Official Result: Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza defeats Derek Brunson by Knockout (Punches) at 0:41 of Round 1.

Before the main event thoughts:

- I know Sarah Kaufman, and I like Sarah Kaufman, so there is a part of me that is certainly cheering for my fellow Victoria native to reclaim Strikeforce gold here. The analyst in me, however, thinks Rousey is a rare talent who is on a different level than every other female competitor in the bantamweight division.

Ronda Rousey (5-0) vs. Sarah Kaufman (15-1)

Six fights. Six wins. Six first-round armbar finishes. Any questions?

Ronda Rousey is a next level, Jon Jones-type talent. When everyone knows what you’re going to do, trains to stop you from doing what you’re going to do, and you still do it in under a minute – against a 15-1 former champion at that – there are no more questions. Champion. Bad Ass. Superstar. Official Result: Ronda Rousey defeats Sarah Kaufman by Submission (Armbar) at 0:51 of Round 1.

* * * * * * * *

Here are the official results from tonight’s Strikeforce event in San Diego, California:

Main Card

Ronda Rousey (5-0) vs. Sarah Kaufman (15-1)
Ronda Rousey defeats Sarah Kaufman by Submission (Armbar) at 0:51 of Round 1.

Ronaldo Souza (15-3) vs. Derek Brunson (9-1)
Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza defeats Derek Brunson by Knockout (Punches) at 0:41 of Round 1.

Roger Bowling (11-2) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (12-3)
Tarec Saffiedine defeats Roger Bowling by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

Lumumba Sayers (6-2) vs. Anthony Smith (16-8)
Anthony Smith defeats Lumumba Sayers by Submission (Triangle Choke) at 3:52 of Round 1.

TJ Cook (12-4) vs. Ovince St. Preux (11-5)
Ovince St. Preux defeats TJ Cook by Knockout (Punch) at 0:20 of Round 3.

Preliminary Card

Miesha Tate (12-3) vs. Julie Kedzie (16-10)
Miesha Tate defeats Julie Kedzie by Submission (Armbar) at 3:28 of Round 3.

Adlan Amagov (9-2-1) vs. Keith Berry (11-9)
Adlan Amagov defeats Keith Berry by TKO (Punches) at 0:48 of Round 1

Germaine de Randamie (2-2) vs. Hiroko Yamanaka (12-1)
Germaine de Randamie defeats Hiroko Yamanaka by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Bobby Green (18-5) vs. Matt Ricehouse (6-0)
Bobby Green defeats Matt Ricehouse by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

* * * * * * * *

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If you’re on Twitter, be sure to follow me (@spencerkyte) for even more MMA talk… and all kinds of randomness too.

Tonight in San Diego the new face of the MMA Ronda Rousey will defend her title against Sarah Kaufman on Strike Force.  The fight will be broadcast on Showtime. Rousey has sky rocketed in fame based on her ability to be very candid sometimes too candid. She has developed a love/hate relationship with fans. With one comment on her from a guy being, “I don’t like her but I’d still sleep with her.” Despite her stardom Rousey is still going to face a real challenge tonight against Kaufman. The two women have very different fighting styles. Rousey is using her body to make her opponent submit while Kaufman is more of striker.
It is likely that Rousey will win. But the real question is, does she need to win to continue to be a celebrity?

-M

While Rousey is the heavy favourite to retain, the cool but silently confident Kaufman expects to shock the world.

Rousey on the other hand doesn’t mind letting the world wonder not only about the armbar, but the other tricks up her sleeve.

Welcome back to The Crossfire.

MMA Crossfire – The hard-hitting blog that features expert commentary.

MMA Crossfire Expert Cassie Wiseman shares her picks on the main event matches:

Image courtesy Steve Bartlett

Cassie is a mixed martial artist with over five years of study. Training primarily in South Korea, she has black belts in Taekwondo, Hapkido, and Muay Thai kickboxing. A proud Canadian from Roberts Arm, Newfoundland, she files for The Crossfire having recently returned from South Korea. She also blogs for Postmedia Networks’ Womens Fight Club website.

STRIKEFORCE: ROUSEY VS KAUFMAN

Ovince St. Preux (11-5-0) vs. T.J. Cook (15-4-0)

SAN DIEGO, CA – AUGUST 17: (L-R) Opponents Ovince St-Preux and T.J. Cook face off during the Strikeforce weigh in at Valley View Casino Center on August 17, 2012 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Esther Lin/Forza LLC/Forza LLC via Getty Images)

Wiseman: St. Preux is the more powerful and technical striker who also has a submission game. Cook does have KO power and a submission game, but all four of his loses were submissions, which leaves an opening for St. Preux if the opportunity presents itself. St. Preux also has ground-and-pound which leaves Cook in a ball until the referee steps in for a stoppage. Cook will definitely try to grapple after tasting some of St. Preux’s power, but St. Preux is stronger and will be able to bring the fight where ever he wants it.

Wiseman Prediction: Ovince St. Preux via TKO.

Lumumba “Heavy Hands” Sayers (6-2-0) vs. Anthony “Lionheart” Smith (14-7-0)

SAN DIEGO, CA – AUGUST 17: (L-R) Opponents Lumumba Sayers and Anthony Smith face off during the Strikeforce weigh in at Valley View Casino Center on August 17, 2012 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Esther Lin/Forza LLC/Forza LLC via Getty Images)

Wiseman: Sayers likes to rush in with fists flying versus Smith who is the more technical striker. Smith puts together good combinations using powerful kicks to set up a KO punch. Sayers likes to overwhelm his opponents until he knocks them out. Sayers will have a problem trying to rush in against Smith as he has good lateral movement and uses a front kick to keep distance. Each fighter is dangerous on the mat for submissions, as well as with KO power. The biggest difference is the way these fighters choose to use their power, technique versus bombarding. I see Sayers backing up with the aggression after he tastes a few of Smith’s kicks and combinations, forcing him to rethink his game plan.

Wiseman Prediction: Anthony “Lionheart” Smith via TKO.

Tarec “Sponge” Saffiedine (12-3-0) vs. “Relentless” Roger Bowling (11-2-0)

SAN DIEGO, CA – AUGUST 17: (L-R) Opponents Tarec Saffiedine and Roger Bowling face off during the Strikeforce weigh in at Valley View Casino Center on August 17, 2012 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Esther Lin/Forza LLC/Forza LLC via Getty Images)

Wiseman: If one is talking about pure athletics, Bowling is superior, but Saffiedine has the corner marked in every facet relating to MMA. Saffiedine is the superior striker, wrestler, grappler and his list of past opponents far exceed the level of those Bowling’s.  Bowling also has a few questionable losses which only makes Saffiedine shine even more. Saffiedine has gone to decision win in his past seven fights, but that will also play in an advantage for him as he has gone the distance more then Bowling.

Wiseman Prediction: Tarec “Sponge” Saffiedine via decision.

Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (15-3-0) vs. Derek Brunson (9-1-0)

SAN DIEGO, CA – AUGUST 17: (L-R) Opponents Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Derek Brunson face off during the Strikeforce weigh in at Valley View Casino Center on August 17, 2012 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Esther Lin/Forza LLC/Forza LLC via Getty Images)

Wiseman: It’s obvious what Brunson is going to try to do in this fight: use his wrestling and KO power to end this fight early. Souza, whose standup is improving, will want to use his kicks to do damage to the lead leg of Brunson taking away the driving force used for a takedown. Souza, who usually tries to close the gap to use grappling to force things to the mat, won’t feel threatened if things do go to the mat early. Souza has KO power of his own and Brunson, who tries to force things early, may make the mistake of circling into Souza’s right power punch. If things go to the mat, Souza can easily score a submission as Brunson is nowhere close to the level of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) of Souza.

Wiseman Prediction: Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza via submission.

“Rowdy” Ronda Rousey ( 5-0) vs. Sarah Kaufman (15-1)

SAN DIEGO, CA – AUGUST 17: (L-R) Opponents Ronda Rousey and Sarah Kaufman face off during the Strikeforce weigh in at Valley View Casino Center on August 17, 2012 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Esther Lin/Forza LLC/Forza LLC via Getty Images)

Wiseman: Just like in several weight divisions in men’s mma, Rousey is a fighter that is unique while still new to WMMA. Jon Jones has only been practicing MMA for three years, yet he has been able to demolish veterans of the sport. Rousey is like that, young in regards to WMMA experience, but well beyond her cage experience on various levels. Kaufman  has the advantage in striking power, but we haven’t seen Rousey stand long enough to know what her standup is like. We know that just like a wrestler, when pressured she will resort to what she knows best, a Judo throw, then submission. Kaufman likes to put pressure on her opponents, stand in front of them and throw bombs. She is going to connect with Rousey’s face a few times, but just like when Miesha Tate rushed towards Rousey with a flurry of fists, Rousey will immediately close the distance, get a Judo throw in place and try to take Kaufman’s arm home. Kaufman has experience with so many diverse fighters, but Rousey is unlike other fighters due to her level of Judo which always transitions into an arm bar. Rousey, unlike the spontaneous Jones, is a master at one thing, but being a master means she is able to get that position regardless of the setup. Kaufman is a superior striker and can grapple, but against the Olympian, grappling isn’t going to be anything like Kaufman has faced in the past.

Wiseman Prediction: “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey via submission.

MMA CROSSFIRE RELATED LINKS:

Opposites attract, as Rousey meets Kaufman for Strikeforce title
kandrews@postmedia.com

Kenai Andrews on Twitter

cwmmacrossfire@gmail.com

Cassie Wiseman on Twitter

Tonight, Ronda Rousey and Sarah Kaufman step into the cage, the winner walking away as the top female fighter in the sport, owner of the Strikeforce women’s bantamweight title. It’s a compelling and captivating match-up from both sides. For Rousey, it’s a chance to validate her sudden impressive run to the top by defeating a former champion with just a single loss on her resume, while Kaufman has the opportunity to reclaim the belt she held once before and show that she – not Rousey – is the dominant force in Strikeforce’s female ranks right now.

The remainder of the card features some interesting match-ups as well, but they’re all so far under the radar in comparison to the main event that most people aren’t even talking about them. What’s truly unfortunate is that Strikeforce opted to showcase a couple of good-but-not-great prospects (Lumumba Sayers and Ovince St. Preux) on the main card rather than giving Miesha Tate and Julie Kedzie the spot they desere. My guess is the winner of that fight faces the winner of the main event, which makes that a fight you would think the organization would like to promote as much as possible.

But what do I know?

Here are the Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman Punch Drunk Predictions.

* * * * * * * *

Ronda Rousey (5-0) vs. Sarah Kaufman (15-1)

I’ve read a lot of analysis on this fight, and have been thinking about it myself for some time. The one thing that strikes me as somewhat curious is that while there is a fair bit of “What if Rousey isn’t as good as we think?” sentiment out there, the other side of that coin hasn’t really been explored, and that’s what I think is more likely to come to light tonight in San Diego.

What if Rousey is even better than we’ve seen so far? What if her win over Miesha Tate was the beginning of a Jon Jones-like run of dominance through the top contenders? Why have so few people touched on this as a possibility?

Kaufman is certainly a very dangerous opponent – easily the most well-rounded foe Rousey has faced to date – but the possibility exists that the 25-year-old two-time Olympian is just on a different level athletically and talent-wise than her Canadian challenger and everyone else in the women’s ranks. I mean, she steamrolled her way to the top of the sport in just five fights, beating a more experienced, more well-rounded fighter to claim the title. While there are still questions that linger – and will most likely be answered this evening – I think we’re more likely to see Rousey continue to impress than we are to see her knocked down a peg.

Here’s the other thing: Kaufman doesn’t have one-punch knockout power; she beats you by wearing you down punch after punch after punch. For that formula to work against Rousey, she has to keep the fight standing and in space, and though I think she’ll have her moments, I don’t see her fending off the champion long enough to deliver enough cumulative damage to bring the title back to Victoria.

Prediction: Ronda Rousey by Subnission, Round 2

Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (15-3, 1 NC) vs. Derek Brunson (9-1)

Brunson is a nice middleweight prospect, but he’s in over his head against “Jacare,” the former Strikeforce middleweight champion.

Souza has shown continued development in his striking, and possesses one of the best ground games in the entire sport. Though you have to cut Brunson some slack for his loss to Kendall Grove in June – he took the fight on extremely short notice (three days) and the fight was much closer to the 28-27 score that was entered in his favour – “Jacare” is still a big step up in competition from the quality of opponents he’s been facing to date, and the Brazilian is a stylistic nightmare too.

If you don’t like grappling, you don’t want to watch this fight.

Prediction: Ronaldo Souza by Unanimous Decision

Roger Bowling (11-2) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (12-3)

Proving how thin the Strikeforce ranks are right now, there is a good chance that the winner of this fight will meet newly crown welterweight champion Nate Marquardt for the title in their next fight.

Bowling charges out of the gate hard and hits like a truck, but he’s wild and flawed, which should give the far more technical, far more polished Saffiedine the opportunity to once again showcase his skills and make a case for deserving a title shot. The Team Quest product’s only loss in six Strikeforce appearance came three fights ago when he dropped a split decision to Tyron Woodley, the man Marquardt finished to claim the vacant title last month. He’s faced much more experienced competition than Bowling in the past, and as long as he avoids the early onslaught Bowling is sure to offer, Saffiedine should collect his third consecutive victory.

Prediction: Tarec Saffiedine by TKO, Round 2

Lumumba Sayers (6-2) vs. Anthony Smith (16-8)

Sayers has never been out of the first round in his career, and enters this one off back-to-back wins over veterans Scott Smith and Antwain Britt. Though he has a serious edge in experience, Smith is a fairly raw 24-year-old regional fighter who has built his record beating mostly mediocre competition on the regional circuit. His last win came against an opponent who is now 15-14 for his career.

Having already lost to Brunson under the Strikeforce banner, it’s confusing to me why the company has opted to showcase Sayers here instead of pushing the Tate-Kedzie fight. Make no mistake about it, this is meant to be a showcase bout for Sayers, who should put away Smith and take another step forward in the depleted middleweight division.

Prediction: Lumumba Sayers by TKO, Round 1

T.J. Cook (12-4) vs. Ovince St. Preux (11-5)

This is another head-scratcher in terms of placement, though at least St. Preux is a more highly regarded prospect than Sayers and is coming off a fight against former light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi.

Previous to losing that contest, “OSP” had rattled off five consecutive victories under the Strikeforce banner and eight straight wins overall. A former collegiate football player at the University of Tennessee, the 29-year-old Haitian-American is working to bring his skills in the cage up to a level that matches his natural athletic abilities. Like the previous fight, this has the makings of a showcase fight for St. Preux, as Cook hasn’t competed since being submitted in the first round by Trevor Smith last November.

Prediction: Ovince St. Preux by TKO, Round 1

Preliminary Card Picks

Miesha Tate over Julie Kedzie – Unanimous Decision
Adlan Amagov over Keith Barry – TKO, Round 2
Bobby Green over Matt Ricehouse – Unanimous Decision
Germaine de Randamie over Hiroko Yamanaka — TKO, Round 1

Main Card Record: 82-55-1
Overall Record: 187-118-2, 1 NC

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“If I get her in an armbar, I’m going to try to rip it off and throw it at her corner…If I get her in a choke, I’m going to hold onto it until she’s actually dead. And if I get a knockout, I’m going to go all the way. I’m going to try to pound her face into the ground and she’s depending on the competence of the California (State) Athletic Commission to walk out of that cage alive.”

With ferocity in her eyes, Rousey also said a time or two that she’s going to “kill” Kaufman. Of course, she didn’t mean it literally, and we all know that, but that wouldn’t stop critics from latching on to the quote. Additionally, we’re less than a week removed from the tragic death of Tyrone Mims, who passed away following his bout at an event in South Carolina last weekend; the cause of his death is still unknown at this time.

On the heals of Rousey’s comments, two journalists I have a great deal of respect for – Brent Brookhouse of Bloody Elbow and Jeremy Botter of Bleacher Report – both offered up critical analysis of Rousey’s choice of words, additionally referencing Frank Mir’s pre-UFC 100 comments about killing rival Brock Lesnar in the Octagon and the stir it caused; Brookhouse also referenced BJ Penn’s pre-UFC 94 warning to Georges St-Pierre as well.

Here’s the problem: this is a violent sport where the violence is used to sell the sport, so aren’t we being kind of disingenuous to wag a finger at Rousey for her comments?

We have assassins, hitmen, stranglers, and various types of killers scattered throughout the sport – not to mention “The Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva – describe fights as wars, and fill promotion trailers with as many clips of knockouts as possible, and yet the only time we worry about the message being sent is when someone makes a reference to death?

More specifically, it’s only when someone actually says they’re going to kill their opponent because all kinds of people thought it was incredibly witty when Chael Sonnen told the Brazilian media “send anybody you want, but don’t send anybody you want back.” I know Sonnen used to be in real estate, but I don’t think he was talking about finding whoever was sent forth a house in the Pacific Northwest.

This sport is always going to be in a battle against itself when it comes to violence – violent imagery, violent talk, violent stories. Stripped of being called a sport and broken down to its most basic, we’re talking about a good old fashioned fight, and while that is something simple for everyone to understand as a premise, it’s also what gets the sport in trouble.

Fighting is brutal. It’s dangerous. People can and do get hurt, sometimes severely hurt.

Few people involved within the industry or who count themselves among the growing number of fans of the sport have a problem with those realities, but then bristle and cringe at the mention of death at a pre-fight press conference, Ronda Rousey having gone one step too far in the promotion of her fight.

Knock them out? Fine. Take their arm home and put it on my mantle? Acceptable. Take their head off? Sure. Kill them? That’s too far.

Rather than being reactionary when someone crosses the line between what is fair and what is foul, why don’t we just scale back on pushing the violence as a whole?

Yes, it’s an unavoidable element of mixed martial arts, but there are countless other ways to market and promote these events and fighters without pushing highlight reels full of knockouts and nasty strikes with Saliva’s “Click, Click, Boom” every. single. time. You’re never going to avoid the critics who drone on about the violence woven into the fabric of this sport, but you also don’t have to keep shoving it down their throats, especially not when there is so much more to this sport than just face-punching.

Anybody can punch another person in the face; not everyone can fight in the UFC, and what separates the two isn’t as simple as Anderson Silva being better at punching people in the face than the guy at your local on a boozy Saturday night. It’s skill, athleticism, training, timing, dedication, hard work, commitment – all the things that we frequently touch on when describing what makes athletes in other sports great. Accentuate the skill, artistry, and technique shown by fighters, rather than showcasing the brutality of the finishing blow or the copious amounts of blood spilled on the canvas by a glancing elbow.

Right now, everyone wants to play both sides of the fence.

When the critics come rallying against all the violence, the spotlight is directed to the athletes themselves, the safety record of the sport, and the skill, talent, and determination it takes to excel at the elite level. Once the critics have been repelled, it’s back to the ferocity and the finishes, the knockouts and the submissions, all soundtracked by P.O.D.’s “Boom.” (Ready or not – here come the boys from the South.)

We can’t have it both ways.

There shouldn’t be 99 violent things that we can say, show, reference, or write that are acceptable and one word that is off limits because people are going to get the wrong idea.

Criticizing Rousey for her choice of words when almost everything else we do to promote the sport is dripping with violence just feels like a double standard to me.

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WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP: Ronda Rousey vs Sarah Kaufman
MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT: Souza vs Brunson
WELTERWEIGHT BOUT: Saffiedine vs Bowling

The critics were legion in the weeks before Ronda Rousey met Miesha Tate for the Strikeforce bantamweight title in March. Rousey was only 4-0 and had spent less than three full minutes in the cage when she landed the high-profile title shot.

And even after Rousey submitted Tate in the first-round with an arm bar that ended one of the year’s most exciting fights and gave her the championship, there are still those who believe Rousey didn’t deserve the opportunity to fight for the belt.

They argue it was her looks, her sassy personality and her penchant for self-promotion more than her fighting ability that landed her that shot.

Ronda Rousey continues to be a lightning rod for criticism. (FilmMagic)As Rousey prepares to defend the belt against ex-champion Sarah Kaufman on Saturday at the Valley View Casino Center in a nationally televised bout on Showtime, Tate continues to be foremost among those who insist Rousey was given preferential treatment.

Rousey had won all four of her previous fights at featherweight. She dropped to bantamweight and was immediately granted a title shot against Tate.

“It’s like you take Joe Schmo off the street and he claims, ‘I can do this. I can do that,’ and you have very little to go off of, but you give him a title shot,” Tate said. “Ridiculous, right? Well, of course. That’s not how it works. Look at the UFC: Guys are busting their butts, winning this fight, winning this fight, winning that fight, and they have to do so much more to get to that level.

“Ronda didn’t put in her time. Her skill set is there. Yeah, she has the skill set. But she didn’t do what all the rest of the girls had to do. … You can’t tell me she put in the time and proved she deserved the title shot.”

Tate isn’t alone in her criticism of women’s MMA’s biggest star. And have no doubt, Rousey has heard it.

To those who are expecting her to get her comeuppance and to be put into her place by the heavy-handed Kaufman on Saturday, Rousey nearly snarls.

“Let them try to put me back into my place,” an obviously agitated Rousey said as Showtime’s preview show concluded. “Who are they to say where my place is? My place is at the top. I earned it and I’m here. Women being put in their place is part of what’s wrong with this world.”

That attitude, that ability to think on her feet, is what has made her such a star. No less than Dana White bubbles with enthusiasm when he speaks of Rousey. The UFC president is a guy, who has repeatedly dismissed the thought of a female division in his company because he said there aren’t enough quality fighters.

But White’s face was the first to appear on Showtime’s two-part preview show. This is a guy who has feuded openly with Showtime and called its management all sorts of derogatory names.

That is what made his presence in part one of Showtime’s “All Access: Ronda Rousey” so stunning.

“She’s incredibly talented,” White says, as the video cuts to a clip of Rousey catching Tate in that fight-ending, championship-winning arm bar. “She’s mean, she’s nasty and she’s dangerous. She’s got the whole package.”

Later, White breaks into a wide grin and adds, “I will not miss a Ronda Rousey fight, ever. I’m a Ronda Rousey fan.”

Rousey has much to prove, and though she won’t say so, she knows it. It’s one thing to win a title, but the greats of the game defend it multiple times.

And though Rousey’s summer has been filled with non-MMA personal appearances and an almost unprecedented media blitz for a female fighter, that overlooks one very dominant aspect of her personality.

“I’ve known Ronda since she was 14 and she is such a great competitor and she wants to win so badly,” said UFC fighter Manny Gamburyan, a judoka like Rousey. “She trains so hard. She pushes and she pushes and you can see the difference in her striking.

“She’s so much better today than she was [in March] when she fought [Tate], it’s like it’s two different people. She has a lot to do, but she knows the most important thing is to put the time in. Everything about her striking – everything, her knees, her elbows, her kicks, her head movement – is way better than it was.”

Rousey hasn’t been idle, despite posing nude for ESPN the Magazine’s body issue and generally turning herself into a pop culture star since winning the belt. Her judo is first-rate, but she’s sought help in the areas in which she’s been weak.

She worked with Richard Perez, the striking coach for MMA stars Nick and Nate Diaz, for several weeks. She brought in Lucia Rijker, arguably the greatest women’s boxer ever, to help with her game.

Despite that, she’s being dismissed by a large segment as a one-trick pony. Avoid the arm bar, that theory goes, and Rousey is out of options. Edmond Traverdyan, Rousey’s head coach, finds the notion ridiculous enough to be insulting.

“It’s getting tiring, but here’s the thing: Nobody can stop her arm bar,” Traverdyan said. “And they spend so much time in their camp worrying about Ronda’s arm bar that they don’t become good at what they’re doing. People don’t understand that.

“If you want to even think of beating Ronda, you have to be ready in every place. They overlook that because they’re so afraid of her arm bar. They put 90 percent of their focus on defending her arm bar. But if they figure out how to defend it, that’s OK, because she has a very good overall game. She can win her fights in many ways, not just by arm bar.”

So far, nobody has come close to getting away from Rousey’s arm bar. She had three submissions from the arm bar in less than a minute each in three bouts as an amateur. As a pro, she’s 5-0, with her wins all coming by arm bar. The fight against Tate lasted four minutes, 27 seconds, and was one of the year’s best fights, male or female. The others were 25 seconds, 49 seconds, 25 seconds and 39 seconds.

And though Rousey firmly believes she’s more than a one-trick pony, she’s not above using that perception to her advantage.

“If I am a one-hit wonder, what does that say about them for losing to me then?” she said. “If people are upset that I got a chance, I’ll be honest: I don’t really give a [expletive]. Did they want me to say I didn’t want the title shot? Did they think I should have just sat back and kept quiet and not tried to make my life better and improve my situation?

“Whenever you have success, you’re going to have your share of detractors. I get it. If there are people who want to say I’m nothing more than an arm bar, well then prove it. I’m a fighter and I have had to fight for everything I’ve gotten. I haven’t been given a thing. And that’s exactly what I’m going to keep doing.”

Ronda Rousey vs. Sarah Kaufman: I’m pretty excited for this fight. I’d be more excited if I didn’t think it was taking place a month from now. But I’m still pretty excited. Unlike Rousey vs. Miesha Tate, I really feel like Kaufman has a chance in this fight because she actually has a way to victory, which is obviously to keep the fight on the feet. Tate could never keep the fight on the feet because her footwork is poor and her game is to wrestle, which played perfectly into Rousey’s judo game. Tate actually did some good things on the ground, including getting the back of Rousey, but she also got caught in Rousey’s famous armbar twice, the second one making her tap out. There’s actually a chance that Kaufman uses her boxing and footwork, which is just as good as some of the guys, and out-points Rousey on the feet. I know it’s cliche to call Greg Jackson fighters boring, but boring is what’s going to win Kaufman this fight. She’s best off jabbing and getting on her bicycle kind of like Clay Guida did against Gray Maynard. Of course the biggest difference is that Kaufman’s striking is better than Guida’s and Rousey’s striking is worse than Maynard’s, which means there should be more opportunities for Kaufman to really let her hands go instead of just jabbing and backing. The problem with Kaufman is that she likes to clinch up too often and if she clinches with Rousey, she’s either going to be thrown down or Rousey can always pull guard. I’m sure it’s a habit that she’s tried to break in camp, but old habits die hard once the cage door closes. Kaufman is also catching Rousey at the right time, because it’s possible that Rousey has been distracted from fighting with all the major media she’s been doing. That said, Kaufman’s strategy is a 25-minute strategy and for her to avoid Rousey’s clinch for 25-minutes is going to be extremely tough. Maybe things work out for her for the first round, but sooner or later I expect Rousey to get the fight in close quarters and then lock on her armbar. And when Kaufman taps, I hope she doesn’t complain like the last time she got caught in an armbar.

Prediction: Rousey, Submission, Round 2

Ronaldo Souza vs. Derek Brunson: I was high on Brunson, mainly because he’s from North Carolina and I like to root for anyone from NC, but then he lost to Kendall Grove. Now the decision sucked and he should’ve won, but the fact that it was pretty close still says a lot about where Brunson is at right now. And where he’s at isn’t anywhere near the level of Souza. Brunson is a great wrestler but if he takes down Souza, chances are he’s going to get swept and end up on his back. Then again, I’m not even sure he can put down Souza as Souza has good takedown defense and Brunson’s wrestling hasn’t quite translated to MMA. It’ll be interesting to see if Souza welcomes a grappling match or if he decides to use this fight to keep working on his striking, sort of like he did against Lumumba Sayers in his last bout. No matter what Souza decides to do, chances are he’ll out-class Brunson, who is being pushed a little too soon by Strikeforce.

Prediction: Souza, Submission, Round 3

Tarec Saffiedine vs. Roger Bowling: I like Saffiedine. I’m not sure why, but I do. Bowling is an explosive striker who hits hard, but that’s about it. Saffiedine is the more well-rounded fighter and should be able to dominate Bowling wherever this fight takes places. If it stays standing, there’s a chance that Bowling catches Saffiedine with a power punch, but Saffiedine uses his range well and will probably keep him at bay with kicks. And when Bowling closes the distance, Saffiedine can just clinch up and control him against the cage or put him on his back. It might not be the prettiest fight, but it should be a victory for Saffiedine.

Prediction: Saffiedine, Decision

Lumumba Sayers vs. Anthony Smith: Why is this fight on the main card over Miesha Tate vs. Julie Kedzie? Contrary to what Mark Radulich says, headlining the prelims isn’t better than being on the main card. Whatever. If Sayers is smart, he’ll use his grappling and make short work of Smith. If he comes to bang though, he could be in some trouble because Smith hits hard. I’m going to assume that Sayers will fight smart and win this one.

Prediction: Sayers, Submission, Round 1

Ovince St. Preux vs. TJ Cook: St. Preux’s striking was pretty exposed in his last fight, but he still hits pretty hard and has his wrestling to fall back on. St. Preux wasn’t as good as advertised prior to the Gegard Mousasi fight, but he’s still better than Cook, who is mediocre at best. I just hope that if St. Preux gets a dominant position on the ground, he’s able to capitalize on it.

Prediction: St. Preux, Decision

That was the objective Ronda Rousey had laid out for herself when we spoke on August 10, 2011, two days before she first stepped into the Strikeforce cage and onto the national scene. Even with just two professional bouts under her belt, the two-time Olympian was focused on making an impact in women’s MMA. Just over a year later, Rousey is not only sitting atop her division as the Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion, but her combination of fighting prowess, personality, and good looks have carried her into the rare air occupied by the biggest stars in the sport.

As I said yesterday on TheProvince.com (and in the print edition today!), as easy as it is to try and say Rousey talked her way into her current position – which overlooks a lot of things – the truth is that all the talk in the world doesn’t mean anything if you’re not able to back it up.

Though Rousey certainly hasn’t been shy about voicing her opinion whenever a microphone, telephone, tape recorder, or camera has been in front of her, she’s followed up by dominating each and every opponent she’s faced to date. If you go back and look at the quote above, the 25-year-old unbeaten superstar is really just sticking to her mandate: give good interviews, have exciting fights.

Check and check.

She may not approach it the way some would like, but Rousey has set her goals high, and then set a course for achieving them. The fact that she’s been able to accomplish what she set out to do in such a short period of time is a testament how incredible she is as an athlete and her advanced understanding of the entertainment side of things. People want to argue about whether or not there is a place in MMA for trash talk and the unfiltered answers Rousey gives whenever she’s asked a question, but the fact of the matter is that part of what has made her such a well known fighter in such a short period of time is that willingness to speak her mind on everything from Michael Phelps and Kim Kardashian to other female fighters like Miesha Tate and Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos.

And that’s exactly what she set out to do a year ago when she made her Strikeforce debut.

One year later, it’s mission accomplished.

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Our photo set-up is lame, so I couldn’t add a link to the incomparable work of Esther Lin (All Elbows) into the caption. Here is the gallery where I got the stunning feature image: http://allelbows.com/2011/08/sf-challengers-4-fight-night/

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Ronda Rousey (click to enlarge)

Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey is focused on her match with former champion Sarah Kaufman on Saturday, August 18th, 2012. For all of the stardom that Ronda has achieved, she is in with a dangerous striker in Sarah. It will not be an easy defense. Ronda has yet to be pushed past the first round in any of her fights, submitting all of her opponents by way of her signature move, the armbar. Even should she beat Sarah I think this fight goes past one round. And if Ronda makes a mistake, Sarah will make her pay. All of that said, another voice in the women’s MMA world is chirping about fighting Ronda. That would be Cristiane Santos, aka Cyborg. Currently, Cyborg is serving a suspension for a positive steroid test. In my opinion, I think lots of MMA fans would like to see a Rousey vs Cyborg fight if Ronda gets by Kaufman. I want to see it. On the other hand, I don’t know if I want to see it right away. I think Cyborg has some credibility to rebuild. She needs to fight a few times, and more importantly pass every banned substance test they throw at her.

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Ronda Rousey and Sarah Kaufman