RONDA ROUSEY STUNS SARAH KAUFMAN IN OPENING MINUTE

Ronda Rousey secures the arm bar hold on Sarah Kaufman and refuses to release. Kaufman did her best to block the move by holding on to her wrist, but Rousey would not be denied in the main event Saturday night. (PHOTO CREDIT: ESTHER LIN/ SHOWTIME)

Rousey Records Sixth Consecutive Win Via Arm Bar, Retains STRIKEFORCE Bantamweight Title

Catch The Replay of Saturday’s Thrilling Fights:

- Sunday, Aug. 19 at 9:30 a.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME

- Tuesday, Aug. 21 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME

- SHOWTIME ON DEMAND beginning Sunday, Aug. 19

SAN DIEGO (August 18, 2012)—Women’s mixed martial arts sensation Ronda Rousey defended her STRIKEFORCE Bantamweight Championship by besting former titleholder Sarah Kaufman via first-round arm bar on Saturday to cap a thrilling night of fights live on SHOWTIME. 

The undefeated Rousey continued her mind-boggling streak: six professional fights, six wins via first-round arm bar. Through those six fights, she has fought a miniscule total of seven minutes, 39 seconds as a professional. 

The former Team U.S.A. Judoka Olympian, and the first American woman ever to medal in that sport (Bronze, Beijing 2008), has been on a meteoric rise to stardom in recent months. Since her win over Miesha Tate back in March where Rousey captured the STRIKEFORCE Championship, she has appeared on the cover of ESPN The Magazine’s The Body Issue, appeared in Maxim Magazine (Sept. issue), been the subject of her own two-episode documentary series from SHOWTIME Sports, All Access, guest hosted TMZ, and appeared on Conan O’Brien’s nationally televised late night talk show. 

On Saturday, Rousey justified the attention with her ferocious ability and should expect the hype machine to continue. 

“Yes! You must believe the hype,” bellowed SHOWTIME Sports host and play-by-play man Mauro Ranallo shortly after the tap.

Other action from STRIKEFORCE:

     Welterweights (170 lbs.) 3x5

Tarec Saffiedine           UD (30-27, 3xs) over      Roger Bowling

(12-3)                        

                              
          (11-2)

Temecula, Calif.                        

                        Cincinnati, Ohio

                            Middleweights (185 lbs) 3x5

Anthony Smith             SUB (Rd 1) over            Lumumba Sayers  

(17-7)                        

                              
          (6-3)

Orange, County, Calif.                               

        Denver, Colo.                         
              

                             Light Heavyweights (205 lbs.) 3x5

Ovince Saint Preux           KO (Rd 3) over         T.J. Cook

(12-5)                        

                              
          (12-5)

Knoxville, Tenn.                                                 Ocala, Fla.

Preliminary Fights on SHOWTIME EXTREME

                        Bantamweights (135 lbs., Women’s Division)

Miesha Tate                  SUB (arm bar, Rd 3) over           Julie Kedzie

(13-3)                        

                              
                      (16-11)

Yakima, Wash.                         

                                     Albuquerque, N.M.

NOTE: Tate weathered a heavy storm of strikes by the veteran Kedzie to win an action-packed fight via arm bar in the third round.  Tate showed a tremendous amount of resiliency and heart in outlasting Kedzie. 

SHOWTIME will make Tate vs. Kedzie, which aired live on SHOWTIME EXTREME on Saturday, available for subscribers at SHOWTIME ON DEMAND™ within a few days.  More information on this is forthcoming.

     Middleweights (185 lbs.) 3X5

Adlan Amagov                         TKO over                      Keith Berry 
Albuquerque, NM.                                         

                Murrieta, Calif.
(10-2-1)                      
                                                   (12-10)

Featherweight (145 lbs., Women’s Division) 3x5

Germaine de Randamie            UD (30-27, 3xs) over      Hiroko Yamanaka

(3-2)                         

                              
                       (12-2, 1,  NC)
San Jose, Calif.                        
                                    Japan

Lightweights (155 lbs) 3x5

Bobby Green                            UD (30-27, 3xs) over      Matt Ricehouse
Fontana, Calif.                        

                              
        St. Charles, Mo.
(19-5)                                              
                              (6-1)