Ronda Rousey Adjusting To Life As A Mixed Martial Arts Star, Ready For Sarah Kaufman

Ronda Rousey (click for larger size)

She’s brash, confident and cocky. Oh, and one more thing, supremely talented. The last time we saw Ronda Rousey in the cage fighting, she was living up to her reputation as the Arm Bar Assassin, taking the Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight title away from Miesha Tate. There were questions about Ronda going in. She answered them in emphatic fashion.

Ronda Rousey vs Sarah Kaufman (click for larger image)

As great as she looked, sports is fickle. It was a terrific performance, but a loss in her next match against former champion Sarah Kaufman would be a major setback, derailing the huge media push behind Ronda. The crowds love Ronda right now. She’s potentially the fighter that takes women’s MMA into the mainstream. But that’s only if she keeps winning in impressive fashion. They are showing love now, but for all of her looks and personality, in the end she has to perform. And make no mistake, Sarah Kaufman is a dangerous opponent.

Ronda Rousey (click for larger image)

Meanwhile, it is true that Ronda has been capitalizing on her sudden fame. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s a business, and she is marketing her product…herself. Every athlete does that. With it, she might be attracting non-fighting fans as well to tune into Showtime for her next match. As for the Body Issue of ESPN, so many athletes have done that I wonder how much of a big deal that is anymore. Anyway, we’re all born naked, what’s the problem?

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The Rousey vs Kaufman match will take place August 18th, 2012 on Showtime. Prior to that, Showtime will present a special All Access feature on Ronda August 8th and August 15th (part 2). Be sure to check that out. It should be a very intriguing fight. Can Sarah avoid the armbar, which no other Rousey opponent has so far? In fact, none of Ronda’s opponents have even made it out of the first round. What happens if Sarah lands a clean strike on Ronda? Can Ronda handle it? If the armbar doesn’t present itself, does Ronda have a plan B? What if Sarah takes Ronda past the first round and deep into the fight? Does Ronda have the stamina to keep trying clean techniques? Can’t wait to see the answer to some of those questions.