Ronda Rousey is in the news this week, as the Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Champion was interviewed on Tuesday's episode of UFC Tonight by MMA journalist Ariel Helwani in a clip that was posted to YouTube on Wednesday (see below). During the course of the interview, Rousey was asked about the possibility of women fighting in the UFC, and she was very optimistic with her comments.
"I think it's a distinct possibility," Rousey said. "Women are tough. Women are clever. We're going to find a way to get everywhere, so you can't stop us. We'll be here at some point."
UFC president Dana White, of course, has been lukewarm at best to the idea of a women's division in the UFC, arguing that there aren't enough elite female fighters to sustain the division. That position was echoed on UFC Tonight by UFC veterans Kenny Florian and Rashad Evans, and there's a lot of truth to it.
But there may not be for much longer.
Through her meteoric rise to the top of women's MMA, Rousey has had access to a level of publicity that hasn't really been afforded to previous champions like Gina Carano, Sarah Kaufman and Cris Cyborg, who made their names before Strikeforce was purchased by the UFC's parent company, Zuffa. While she doesn't fight in the UFC, Rousey seems to have the UFC's full promotional muscle behind her, putting her in a brighter spotlight than the champions of the past.
And, as Rousey continues to shine, she highlights the opportunities that exist for up-and-coming female fighters. The example set by the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist in judo will undoubtedly make an impression on at least some of the female boxers, wrestlers and judoka who will compete this summer at the Olympics in London, setting the stage for an influx of world-class talent into women's MMA.
While it may take time, the depth that women's MMA is currently lacking will eventually arrive, and while Ronda Rousey may not have gotten the ball rolling, there's little doubt that she's helping it roll a whole lot faster when she steps into the cage.
