Ronda Rousey catches Sarah Kaufman by the arm in San Diego, California, last August 18. Strikeforce publicity photo.
As Ronda Rousey says hello, Strikeforce bids farewell.
Late evening this Thursday, celebrity news website TMZ published first hand that Ronda Rousey has inked a deal with the UFC, and that Strikeforce will close its doors following the January 12 event in Oklahoma.
The information was promptly confirmed by reporter Ariel Helwani’s MMAFighting.com.
Ronda (6w, 0l) will make her debut for her new employers in 2013, though the precise date has yet to be confirmed. It is expected that some of her main rivals and colleagues at Strikeforce will also be absorbed into the UFC’s ranks.
Such is the case of Brazilian knockout artist Cris Cyborg, of whom Ronda is no fan. A fight between the two, however, is something MMA fans look forward to.
Ronda’s manager, Darin Harvey, was sought by the press, but declined to confirm the news.
Now the sports’ fans can also look forward to interesting matchups from the male stars on the folding promotion’s roster as well, such as lightweight standout Gilbert Melendez and middleweights Roger Gracie, Luke Rockhold and Ronaldo Jacaré.
What do you think about the news? Who would you like to see judo black belt Ronda facing?
The post Ronda to make UFC debut in 2013; Strikeforce closes shop in January first appeared on Graciemag.