Despite Changes Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey still a solid Card

It was first thought to be headlined by the heavyweight grand prix final between Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier. When that didn’t work out, Strikeforce then promoted the women’s bantamweight title fight between Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey to headliner status. Strikeforce then surrounded is second card anchored by a women’s title fight with several of the promotions top fighters.

They stacked it well enough that despite losing the night’s co-main event and having to re-shuffle another fight, the card is still pretty solid.

The night’s co-main event was originally schedule to be a light heavyweight bout between Gegard Mousasi and Mike Kyle before and injury to Kyle scrapped that bout. Main card fighter and the former Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo Souza was set to face Derek Brunson before he was replaced by Bristol Marunde and the Ohio state Athletic Commission denied Brunson his fight license.

With all that said though, the Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey still has a title fight between two female fighters that fans want to see and that could potentially take WMMA to a place Cyborg Santos and Gina Carano could not. The card will also feature at least two, if not three #1 contender matches as the winner of the co-main event between K.J. Noons and Josh Thomson could be next in line for Gilbert Melendez and should Sarah Kaufman defeat Alexis Davis she’s be next in line for the women’s bantamweight title.

Let’s also not forget names like Paul Daley, Ronaldo Souza and Scott Smith on the main card and Caros Fodor, Pat Healy, Ryan Couture, Conar Heun and Roger Bowling on the night preliminary card.

It all takes place on Saturday March 3^rd from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio and will be televised on Showtime Extreme (preliminary card) and Showtime (main card).

Main card (Showtime)

Women’s 135 lbs. Championship bout: Miesha Tate vs. Ronda Rousey

155 lbs.: K.J. Noons vs. Josh Thomson

170 lbs.: Paul Daley vs. Kazuo Misaki

185 lbs.: Ronaldo Souza vs. Bristol Marunde

185 lbs.: Scott Smith vs. Lumumba Sayers

Preliminary card (Showtime Extreme)

Women’s 135 lbs.: Sarah Kaufman vs. Alexis Davis

155 lbs.: Caros Fodor vs. Pat Healy

155 lbs.: Ryan Couture vs. Conor Heun

170 lbs.: Roger Bowling vs. Brandon Saling

Tags: Alexis Davis, Brandon Saling, Bristol Marunde, Caros Fodor, Conor Heun, Josh Thomson, Kazuo Misaki, KJ Noons, Lumumba Sayers, Miesha Tate, Mixed Martial Arts, MMA, pat healy, Paul Daley, Roger Bowling, Ronaldo Souza, Ronda Rousey, Ryan Couture, Sarah Kaufman, Scott Smith, Showtime, Strikeforce, Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey

Category: Exclusive, Featured, MMA, Strikeforce