Issue 080

October 2011

When Zuffa, LLC – the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship – purchased Strikeforce earlier this year, the MMA world was abuzz with the possibilities of several fantastic crossover matchups. Almost immediately, Nick Diaz relinquished his belt in favor of a shot at a UFC title, and fans and pundits alike began to clamor for Strikeforce champions Gilbert Melendez and Alistair Overeem to do the same.

But what does this mega-merger mean for the fighting females of MMA? If you listen to Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, the ladies fall right in line with a recent company mantra: business as usual.

“People always ask us, ‘What’s going to happen to the female division?’” Coker tells Fighters Only. “Well, you know what? We’re going to continue this. We’re going to continue to grow it. Showtime (Strikeforce TV partner) really likes the female fights.”

And well they should. An August 2009 contest between current Strikeforce women’s middleweight champion Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Santos and the former “face of women’s MMA,” Gina Carano, remains one of the most-watched MMA contests in the premium cable channel’s history. Additionally, ratings for March’s Strikeforce: Feijao vs Henderson event actually peaked during the night’s co-feature, which saw Strikeforce women’s welterweight champ Marloes Coenen defend her title against gutsy late-replacement Liz Carmouche.

With those facts in mind, Coker paints a rosy future for female fighting under the Strikeforce banner.

“Nothing has changed,” Coker insists. “We’re still running our 135lb and 145lb divisions. Right now, our emphasis is going to be on the 135lb weight class, but we might even have some 125lb fights in the future – some one-offs just to try them out. We’re still sticking to the divisions we’ve always had in Strikeforce.”

But fans of women’s MMA can’t help but feel a little concerned. The long-term viability of Strikeforce as a profitable fight promotion remains a bit of a question, and UFC president Dana White has long been critical of the female game. The fiery exec even told gossip site TMZ.com women would “never” fight in the UFC.

“I think it’s something that I have to be a little bit aware of, at least,” says Miesha Tate, leading light of Strikeforce’s 135lb women’s division. “I wouldn’t call it a concern yet because I’ve been nothing but reassured. I feel like they’re still backing us. They’re still pushing us. I have to be content with that.

“But again, that’s why I feel my fight with Marloes is so important. It’s the perfect opportunity to showcase what we’re truly capable of.”

At the heart of White’s opinion is a perceived lack of depth in the female divisions. Sure, there are a few standout talents, White contends, but there certainly aren’t enough females to build entire divisions. But isn’t that how most MMA observers felt about the men’s lighter-weight divisions before the WEC showcased just how many exciting fighters were simply waiting in the wings for a chance to fight on the big stage?

Tate believes the women’s divisions aren’t yet on par with the men, but she contends the gap is smaller than most probably believe.

“I do think that it’s more scarce than the men’s division, but I would definitely say there’s a lot more than people are aware of, and I think a lot of that is just ignorance,” Tate says.

“We don’t get a lot of opportunities to showcase the women. I think Liz Carmouche stepping in last-minute, a lot of people didn’t know who she was. She’s a very talented young lady coming up in the ranks, and to see her go out there and take it to the champion – the number-one ranked girl, a girl who’s been fighting for 10 years – and almost take her out really displays that there are a lot of women biting at the bit that have no exposure yet. 

“People don’t know that they’re there, but they are. I’m just excited to hopefully get that push and get those women up in the mix to show that there are a lot more women out there than people realize.”

And the only way to find out exactly how many talented females lie in wait is through committing fully to promotion of the women’s game. After all, how can female fighters make the full-time commitment necessary to develop their skills unless there is an elite-level promotion willing to offer them a true financial incentive?

“I’m a fan like anyone else,” Strikeforce light heavyweight champ Dan Henderson says. “I enjoy watching them. I think Miesha is absolutely right. There just hasn’t been enough exposure on TV for the women’s MMA. It’s good that Strikeforce is still keeping up with that.”

Here’s hoping that won’t change. Now is unquestionably a key time in the evolution of women’s MMA, and the next few years may decide whether the females will factor into the future of the world’s biggest MMA promotion or if the ladies will ultimately be relegated to the sport’s regional organizations.

By John Morgan, former Fighters Only World MMA Awards ‘Journalist of the Year’.