Lost in the hubbub over Ronda Rousey's admittance to the UFC last night was the fact that she's not the only woman who will be in the UFC. Unless Rousey will be fighting air or a man, she will need a female opponent.
Miesha Tate, the only fighter to last more than a minute with Rousey, said on Twitter that she will be a part of the UFC.
So Stoked to be fighting for the @ufc it's been a dream of mine for along time! SO happy it's finally come true:-D
? Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) November 9, 2012
Since losing by arm bar to Rousey, Tate rehabbed the arm injury she sustained in the loss. She then beat Julie Kedzie with an armbar of her own. If this were a perfect world, she would win another fight to earn a shot against Rousey. But this world is not perfect, and as the Jon Jones-Chael Sonnen title bout reminded us, the UFC wants to make dollars, not sense.
For that reason, expect Tate to be Rousey's first opponent. Their fight in March generated a boatload of buzz as the two women continually called each other out. The card they headlined averaged 431,000 viewers and peaked at 560,000 for their bout. Considering this was on a premium network that costs viewers extra to view, it bodes well for their future as a pay-per-view draw.
There are other candidates to fight Rousey. Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos was the most dominant woman in MMA until she was suspended for using a banned substance. Her suspension will end in mid-December, but she has had trouble getting down to 145 lbs., much less the 135-lb. weight to challenge for Rousey's bantamweight belt. Like Rousey, Sara McMann has an undefeated record and Olympic credentials, having won a silver medal in wrestling in 2004. But she is not well-known, and the UFC will want to make a splash with their first women's bout.
Who do you think should Rousey should face first? Speak up in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.
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