Ronda Rousey To Defend Title Against Sarah Kaufman Tonight

Ronda Rousey has been on the cover ESPN’s the Body Issue. She’s been on Conan and TMZ. She is arguably the most famous female fighter in the the MMA world. And tonight she’ll go toe to toe against Sarah Kaufman to defend her bantamweight championship belt.

Rousey is the defending champion, but Kaufman is a dangerous opponent. The New York Post reports that Kaufman has won her last three fights, has a brown belt in jiu-jitsu, and is a strong boxer. If Kaufman can keep the fight vertical, she could give Rousey a challenge for the championship.

If the fight goes down to the mat, however, Rousey has the advantage.

Kaufman told Yahoo Sports:

“I have a great style for Ronda. Ronda has never faced anyone who has a strong striking background that’s also mixed with… jiu-jitsu, so I am competent on the ground. I just like punching better.”

Kaufman is going into the title fight as the underdog but the fighter insists that the pressure is all on Rousey.

Kaufman said:

“She won the title and looked great doing it, and now she’s up against someone tough, and she’s expected to win. That’s a tough place to be at. I’m just looking forward to showing up, training really hard as I know she will, and getting in the cage.”

The NY Post reports that Ronda Rousey will be hoping to silence her critics tonight in the ring, but she’ll also be trying to prove her popularity. The Rousey vs. Kaufman match is only the second women’s fight to highlight a Strikeforce event. Tonight’s fight in San Diego will show just how big of a draw Rousey has become.

Are you going to watch the Ronda Rousey/Sarah Kaufman fight?