Ronda Rousey, the most dominant female fighter in MMA, could be its most historic, too.
UFC president Dana White tells SI.com he's working on a female division of the UFC, largely because of Rousey's influence.
"It's absolutely going to happen," White said Tuesday of the women's division.
The inclusion of women in the sport's highest ranks is an about-face for White, who had long rejected the idea of a women's division, deriding the quality of fighting and the depth of competition in the female ranks.
White attributes his reversal to Rousey, 25, who has beaten each of her nine opponents -- three amateur, six professional -- with a devastating armbar in the first round. Only one opponent, wrestling specialist Miesha Tate, endured longer than one minute in the cage with the Strikeforce bantamweight title holder and 2008 bronze medalist in judo.
White says no time frame is set for the new division. Rousey's transition to UFC, White says, "could happen tomorrow, it could happen a year from now."
Rousey's manager Darin Harvey says, "Nothing is immenient. She's a Strikeforce champion not a UFC fighter. We still have three fights left for Strikeforce."
Regardless of the time frame for the women's division, White says, "The point is I'm committed to this."
glad to see this thread get a little more civil, im tired right now but will handle the kids from the first few pages of this thread later.
no insults allowed on the forum, i dont care if their opinion differs from yours or not ...open your eyes not everyone is going to have the same stance on everything you do and just because they dont does not make them wrong or stupid ect.
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My views on the subject i see this as a great move for the UFC and have wanted it for a while just did not see it happening because there is not allot of female fighters. now that there are more out there and is only going to keep getting bigger i see this as a great move on the ufc's part.
I enjoy wmma just as much and sometimes more the Mmma for there is usually less knockouts and at you get to see more technique and skill then just brute strength
Seriously though, I would totally watch. Hell I watched the MT reality show that had Vera's wife on it. The only problem with wmma is the skill difference between fighters can be HUGE. But that happened with normal mma and time heals those issues. So in time it will do nothing but get even better.
I'd rather Zuffa buy up Invicta and put Rousey and Cyborg in there. Treat it as a sister promotion, like WEC back then. Only when the divisions become deep enough and there is enough talent then start to incorporate WMMA into the UFC.
Women's MMA isn't good right now and won't ever be unless it is in the UFC. They just aren't going to attract the best female athletes if the exposure, pay, and opportunities are terrible.
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