Strikeforce

After weeks of both of Strikeforce's top female fighters, Ronda Rousey and Cris Cyborg, taking shots at one another, tonight the official call-out took place.

Following Rousey's quick submission win over Sarah Kaufman, when being interviewed by Mauro Ranallo, Rousey immediately called out Cyborg.

Rousey said (h/t Mike Chiappetta, MMAFighting.com), "I need to send out a challenge to Miss Cyborg out there. People want to see the first fair fight of your life. I'm the champ now. The champ doesn't go to you, you go to the champ. Come down to 135 and let's settle this."

Earlier this week, when reports suggested Cyborg wanted the fight at 145, Rousey stated on TSN Radio's The MMA Report with John Pollock (h/t Chiappetta, MMAFighting.com) that to make the 135-pound weight cut Cyborg should, "Stop doping and lose weight."

The fight needs no hype at all. Rousey has looked simply unstoppable since her transition to MMA from judo. She's 6-0 with all her wins coming by first-round submission via her lethal armbar. But Rousey isn't the first dominate female in Strikeforce.

Before there was Rousey, there was Cris Cyborg. Cyborg is 10-1, with eight of her wins coming by way of knockout. She's one of the most powerful women ever to compete in MMA, and before her recent positive drug test, she was considered to best female fighter on the planet.

Cyborg's year-long suspension will end sometime in December, and the potential of a bout between Rousey and Cyborg should have all MMA fans—not just fans of women's MMA—pumped for what could lie ahead.

Follow @CKissGuinn

Ronda Rousey is dominant. Six professional fights, nine overall, and all have been stopped via first-round armbar. And her last four victims were no slouches: Sarah D'Alelio, Julia Budd, Miesha Tate and Sarah Kaufman.

Looking at the Strikeforce calendar it does not seem likely that we will see the impressive champion back in the cage in 2012. So, what's 2013 looking like for the Rousey?

The biggest opposition that jumps off the page is Cris Cyborg. Her suspension ends in December.

It is the fight that most fans have been wanting to see, and the fight that Rousey called for in the cage after her victory on Saturday night. The catch is that she wants Cyborg to meet her at 135 pounds. That is unlikely.

If the fight were to happen it would be the biggest fight in women's MMA history to date without question.

The other logical opponent is none other than Miesha Tate.

Tate defeated Julie Kedzie on Saturday in one of the best fights of 2012. It was a dramatic comeback victory that saw her get the submission win with an armbar of her own. She was brutalized in the first round and was dropped by a nasty headkick in the third, but Tate's composure and heart weathered the storm.

It is no secret Tate and Rousey do not like one another. Even though Rousey easily took the strap off of Tate back in March, the rematch would sell. Fans love when fighters despise one another.

And let's not forget Rousey's incredible ability to sell a fight. She is becoming a star much in the same light that other dominant champions have been—fans simply want to watch their brilliance.

Whoever stands across the cage from her in 2013 is irrelevant. Fans want to see if she can keep her streak alive. Can she make it seven wins in a row? Can she make it seven armbars in a row? Can she make it seven armbars in the first round in a row?

That is what fans are anticipating. Cyborg are Tate are merely small bonuses. Rousey is beginning to transcend to the point where fans will watch her fight anyone.

In 2013 Rousey will continue to devastate her competition and be revered by the MMA community. Her star power will continue to rise. She will most likely appear on more shows, make more appearances and become one of the most recognizable fighters—man or woman—in MMA.

2013 has in store what 2012 did: hype, media and victims.

I was worried about Ronda Rousey before her fight with Sarah Kaufman. Worried enough to lose my mind and pick Kaufman to win the bout. In retrospect, pure insanity. But there was a method to my madness. It seemed so simple then, in the days before Rousey grabbed Kaufman's arm and refused to let go.

Ronda had gone from working menial jobs just to make rent, even living out of her car at one point, to worldwide fame in just a few months. That kind of change can wreak havoc on an athlete's psyche. Ronda was everywhere, at the New York Stock Exchange, at what felt like every UFC event, heck, cutting the yellow ribbon at McDonald's openings nationwide for all I know. If there was a media opportunity, she was there.

It's easy to lose focus, to enjoy the red carpet a little too much, to let money and fame blind you to what made you such a success in the first place. Fame can be overwhelming at first. A little can go a long way and Rousey, with an ESPN: The Magazine cover and an appearance on Conan, had more than a smidgen.

Plenty of great fighters have lost their edge living the good life. It seemed like that might be happening to Rousey. 

Appearances can be deceiving.

When the bell rang, Rousey did what she lives to do. She charged across the cage, put Kaufman on the ground with a leg sweep and like magic, immediately transitioned to an armbar. Kaufman, like everyone in the building and watching at home, knew it was coming. But knowing is just half the battle. The rest of it is a physical test of wills, and Rousey won that contest. She always does.

Six fights, six wins, six armbars. The sport has never seen anything like it. Rousey, an Olympic bronze medalist, is on a different level athletically than any of her competitors.

After the fight, Rousey called out Cris "Cyborg," the former 145-pound champion who is serving a suspension for a failed steroid test. As the champion, Rousey demanded Cyborg come down to 135 pounds to face her. You come to the champ. She doesn't come to you.

It's a fight that makes sense. If it can't happen, for whatever reason, Rousey rival Miesha Tate set herself up for a rematch with a thrilling armbar win of her own, a furious back-and-forth contest with Julie Kedzie that some were calling the fight of the year in the immediate aftermath.

One thing is perfectly clear: Ronda Rousey is here to stay. So is women's MMA. And for fans of the sport, that's a very good thing indeed.

In Strikeforce's latest showcase, Ronda Rousey once again showed why she is one of the most dominant mixed martial artists in the world today. And note that I didn't say woman mixed martial artist.

Rousey once again recorded a first-round submission victory, this time over Sarah Kaufmann at 54 seconds of the first round via armbar.

What We'll Remember About This Fight:

The entire fight due to the fact it didn't even last a minute. Rousey came out swinging, immediately clinched Kaufman up against the cage, took it to the ground and locked in her armbar. Simple enough, or so Rousey makes it appear.

What We Learned About Ronda Rousey:

You can be a one-trick pony if that one trick is unstoppable. There will be plenty of people who say, "Well, she only has the armbar." But if no one can stop it, I'm pretty sure that it is okay if it keeps the belt around her waist.

What We Learned About Sarah Kaufman:

She may be a top-level fighter at 135, but she's not quite at the level of Ronda Rousey. Don't worry though, no one seems to be right now.

What's Next for Ronda Rousey:

Please, Strikeforce—or hey, how about Dana White and the UFC—give us the Silva/St-Pierre "superfight" equivalent in the women's division in Rousey vs. Cris Cyborg.

Cyborg is the Strikeforce 145 women's champion and it wasn't too long ago that she was the unstoppable fighter in the women's division the whole world was talking about. If you need a fight to get the casual fight fan hooked on WMMA, look no further than Rousey-Cyborg.

What's Next for Sarah Kaufman:

Kaufman has shown her skill level by defeating the majority of top women fighters in her division, so it wouldn't hurt to go ahead and make another really exciting WMMA fight possibly between Kaufman and Marloes Coenen if Strikeforce or Invicta can get the weight right.

Follow @CKissGuinn

In the highly anticipated matchup between Ronda "Rowdy" Rousey and Sarah Kaufman, Rousey proved that she is the bantamweight Strikeforce queen. She defeated Kaufman with her patented armbar at 54-second mark of the first round to retain her Bantamweight Championship. 

Rousey has been known to take her opponents down quickly. According to FightMetric.com, her average fight lasts one minute, 23 seconds. Kaufman, on the other hand, typically needs more time to wear her opponents down. 

Rousey held true to form, completely dominating the fight from beginning to end. Within 15 seconds, she had already charged Kaufman, gotten her to the ground and was working on her arm within the first 20 seconds of the fight. 

It was like watching an Army field surgeon attack an artery that needed to be clamped. She had the match locked up before the announcers even had time to get through their introductions.

Kaufman was one of the best fighters Strikeforce could throw at Rousey, and she failed miserably in her attempt to slow down the world's best female MMA fighter. Going forward, it's hard to see any woman in the bantamweight class being able to fend off Rousey's vicious armbar. 

Champions are never at the top forever, though, and trends are made for breaking. I'm sure some day in the future, another female fighter will put Rousey underneath her thumb.

For now, though, Rousey is the toast of the MMA world. She held up her end of the bargain and lived up to the incredible hype surrounding her before the fight, and I can't wait to see what she'll do for her next title defense.

Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed78

Without question, the preliminary bout between former champion Miesha Tate and Julie Kedzie was the highlight of the preliminary card and will, for now, be the fight to remember for the card. 

At the end of the day, Tate was able to submit the tough Kedzie with an armbar at 3:28 in the third and final round.

What We'll Remember About This Fight:

Kedzie's stand-up and Tate's jiu-jitsu. Kedzie landed two nice headkicks that rocked Tate, and early in the third it looked like Kedzie was on the verge of earning the biggest win of her career—but then Tate woke up. 

Tate used her grappling skills to lock in a beautiful armbar and pick up the win. Tate's grappling skills were also on full display at the end of the first round and the end of the second.

What We Learned About Miesha Tate:

That her ground game is definitely her strong point. The bout with Ronda Rousey made Tate's ground skills look lackluster, but tonight, Tate proved she is a top-evel grappler.

What We Learned About Julie Kedzie:

Julie Kedzie is absolutely game. At first, the name didn't ring a bell, but then they mentioned Kedzie's bout with Gina Carano and I sort of remembered her. But, after this bout? I'll never forget about the style and striking of Kedzie. Even Dana White was impressed.

WOW! Now I know who Julie Kendzie is!!! Great 1st round

— Dana White (@danawhite) August 19, 2012

What's Next for Miesha Tate:

The division isn't very deep with talent so I wouldn't be too disappointed to see Tate get either a rematch with Rousey or a bout with Kaufman next.

What's Next for Julie Kedzie:

A match-up with Amanda Nunes or Liz Carmouche would be a good next bout for Kedzie either in Strikeforce or Invicta if she wants to fight on the card rather than commentate.

Follow @CKissGuinn