There have always been women in mixed martial arts, but for many years, most MMA organizations did not sanction fights between female athletes. It took Dana White and the UFC 20 years to sanction a women's MMA bout, and if you do a search for women in MMA, you'll see the focus is still mainly on how the fighters look rather than on their skills and ability. Recently, female MMA fighters have made some important strides and have proven that they are as fierce as the men.
Clearly, the two recent women's bouts in the UFC have been key moments in the history of women's mixed martial arts. The first bout at UFC 157 was the main event of the night, a bout between Liz Carmouche and Ronda Rousey. At UFC 168, the women were still on the main card, although Rousey and opponent Meisha Tate were set as the fight prior to the big event of the night, the rematch between Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman. Of course, there probably aren't any fighters in mixed martial arts today who wouldn't have come in second to that bout.
The formation of Invicta Fighting Championships also has been an important milestone for women in MMA. This organization, unlike most other MMA organizations, offers five different divisions. Most organizations only feature one or two divisions for women. Invicta has gotten off to a bit of a shaky start with some management problems and the lost of the top run of its strawweight division to the UFC, but hopefully, this organization will be here for many more years, offering a variety of options for fighters and encouraging young women to think about MMA.
Pairing up enemies Ronda Rousey and Meisha Tate for The Ultimate Fighter was another big step in women's MMA. Obviously the tension between these two fighters made for interesting TV, but it's noteworthy because it is the first time that women were chosen as coaches for this popular TV program. People have strong emotions regarding Ronda Rousey, but there is no doubt that she has pushed women's MMA into the limelight.
Women's fighting, in general, has progressed by leaps and bounds in the last few years, and not just with mixed martial arts but within specific categories of martial arts, such as Muay Thai. For instance, Lion Fight, one of the top Muay Thai organizations in the country, recently announced that Tiffany Van Soest and Caley Reece will be the headliners for their February, 2014, event in Las Vegas. Van Soest is considered not only to be one of the country's best female Muay Thai fighters, but also one of the best Muay Thai fighters in general.
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.
Clearly, the two recent women's bouts in the UFC have been key moments in the history of women's mixed martial arts. The first bout at UFC 157 was the main event of the night, a bout between Liz Carmouche and Ronda Rousey. At UFC 168, the women were still on the main card, although Rousey and opponent Meisha Tate were set as the fight prior to the big event of the night, the rematch between Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman. Of course, there probably aren't any fighters in mixed martial arts today who wouldn't have come in second to that bout.
The formation of Invicta Fighting Championships also has been an important milestone for women in MMA. This organization, unlike most other MMA organizations, offers five different divisions. Most organizations only feature one or two divisions for women. Invicta has gotten off to a bit of a shaky start with some management problems and the lost of the top run of its strawweight division to the UFC, but hopefully, this organization will be here for many more years, offering a variety of options for fighters and encouraging young women to think about MMA.
Pairing up enemies Ronda Rousey and Meisha Tate for The Ultimate Fighter was another big step in women's MMA. Obviously the tension between these two fighters made for interesting TV, but it's noteworthy because it is the first time that women were chosen as coaches for this popular TV program. People have strong emotions regarding Ronda Rousey, but there is no doubt that she has pushed women's MMA into the limelight.
Women's fighting, in general, has progressed by leaps and bounds in the last few years, and not just with mixed martial arts but within specific categories of martial arts, such as Muay Thai. For instance, Lion Fight, one of the top Muay Thai organizations in the country, recently announced that Tiffany Van Soest and Caley Reece will be the headliners for their February, 2014, event in Las Vegas. Van Soest is considered not only to be one of the country's best female Muay Thai fighters, but also one of the best Muay Thai fighters in general.
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 benefits. For more information regarding martial arts San Diego or to find San Diego boxing classes, go to The Arena MMA site today.
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