Women’s MMA has started picking momentum early this summer, after a failed stint in EliteXC. After Elite fell, women’s MMA was in question. Would the UFC pick it up? Could we see Gina Carano in WEC, or would another promotion pick up the division? All questions were answered when Strikeforce bought EliteXC and re-signed several big female talents. Now the fight that most MMA fans have been waiting for over a year is going to happen. Gina Carano will fight Cris “Cyborg” Santos on August 15, 2009.
This fight has already made history and both opponents have barely started their intense pre-fight training regiments. For the first time in history two females will headline a major MMA card. This speaks volumes to the competitors. In a sport dominated by men, they are shown as equals. It has taken decades for some sports to recognize women athletic competitors. The WNBA, the NPF (women’s pro softball league), women’s ice hockey, etc… In a relatively short period of time women’s MMA has grown, taking the faces of these two competitors and others as the heroes of a new era in women’s sports.
This fight will be for the new Womens 145-lb Championship title and will have 5 rounds at 5 minutes. Something that many women competitors have been waiting for since they started fighting.
Women’s MMA has made leaps and bounds, and will continue to grow. The UFC has argued that there are hardly enough fighters to make a division. With Strikeforce holding a title fight, Dana White might be re-thinking his stance on the subject. And, several sources have heard the rumblings of an all female cast for The Ultimate Fighter. This match may break the mold for women in professional sports, this could be our Billie Jean King vs. Chris Evert.
Raul Rangel