While men have certainly been dominate in mixed martial arts, women have taken an interest in the sport since the very beginning. It has taken many years for women's fighting to become truly acceptable, and it wasn't even until 2013 that the UFC finally realized that women's MMA could be interesting and profitable. During these last few years, women have emerged as true players in mixed martial arts and not just eye candy holding up round signs.
The recent UFC bouts between Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche, and Rousey and Meisha Tate certainly have been high priority fights and not just for women's MMA. The first fight between Rousey and Carmouche was the main event of UFC 157. Rousey's second UFC appearance was also on the main card, but the main event, of course, was the bout between Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman. Pretty much any fighter, male or female, would have been a secondary fight to Silva-Weidman.
The creation of Invicta Fighting Championships in 2012 is definitely a mark showing that there is enough interest in women's MMA to warrant the creation of an organization solely for female fighters. Whether or not Invicta has staying power remains to be seen, but it generated enough interest for Dana White to open up a strawweight division and sign nearly a dozen of Invicta's best strawweights to UFC contracts.
Another key moment for women in the sport was the selection of Meisha Tate and Ronda Rousey as the coaches for The Ultimate Fighter. This was the first time that women served as the coaches on this popular reality TV show. The drama between Tate and Rousey was entertaining to watch, but both proved to be excellent team leaders, and say whatever you want about Rousey, she has definitely increased interest in women's MMA.
Of course, it's not just within the world of mixed martial arts that the women are gaining more respect. Many single martial arts have some excellent fighters, including Muay Thai. Tiffany Van Soest, for example, is considered one of the best kickboxers in the country, and her bout with Caley Reece is a headlining event for Lion Fight, one of the United States' top Muay Thai kickboxing organizations.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu also has its fair share of exceptional female athletes competing for various titles. Leticia Ribeiro, for example, has won more than one dozen jiu-jitsu championships. As a light featherweight, Ribeiro has won the World Brazilian Jiu-Jistu Championship for her division for the last four years.
The recent UFC bouts between Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche, and Rousey and Meisha Tate certainly have been high priority fights and not just for women's MMA. The first fight between Rousey and Carmouche was the main event of UFC 157. Rousey's second UFC appearance was also on the main card, but the main event, of course, was the bout between Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman. Pretty much any fighter, male or female, would have been a secondary fight to Silva-Weidman.
The creation of Invicta Fighting Championships in 2012 is definitely a mark showing that there is enough interest in women's MMA to warrant the creation of an organization solely for female fighters. Whether or not Invicta has staying power remains to be seen, but it generated enough interest for Dana White to open up a strawweight division and sign nearly a dozen of Invicta's best strawweights to UFC contracts.
Another key moment for women in the sport was the selection of Meisha Tate and Ronda Rousey as the coaches for The Ultimate Fighter. This was the first time that women served as the coaches on this popular reality TV show. The drama between Tate and Rousey was entertaining to watch, but both proved to be excellent team leaders, and say whatever you want about Rousey, she has definitely increased interest in women's MMA.
Of course, it's not just within the world of mixed martial arts that the women are gaining more respect. Many single martial arts have some excellent fighters, including Muay Thai. Tiffany Van Soest, for example, is considered one of the best kickboxers in the country, and her bout with Caley Reece is a headlining event for Lion Fight, one of the United States' top Muay Thai kickboxing organizations.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu also has its fair share of exceptional female athletes competing for various titles. Leticia Ribeiro, for example, has won more than one dozen jiu-jitsu championships. As a light featherweight, Ribeiro has won the World Brazilian Jiu-Jistu Championship for her division for the last four years.
About the Author:
Rod Bourgoine enjoys blogging about mixed martial arts advantages. To get more information regarding martial arts San Diego or to find San Diego boxing classes, check out The Arena MMA site today.
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