Well I completely disagree with that being the same logic but this is an old post so Im not gonna worry about it.

“I don’t watch Gina cause shes good looking….I watch her because shes a great fighter.”

The problem now is a lot of casual fans did. And that fight with Cyborg made her look like a second rate fighter in a lot of peoples eyes(IMO Gina fought hard and did ok).

Why watch MMA at all? Might as well just watch the guys who never lose. As long as the fights are exciting and competitive and of high technical skill, then who cares?

The casual MMA fan may not care…..the guy who buys the pay per view for the single main event…..sure I see your point. But to me, I wanna see all the fights. I want to see a full card top to bottom packed with great shows of technique, stragey, excitment, and heart…..and the only way to do that is to pack a card with a variety of matchups…..If you value each of those fights and believe it has a story to tell….then there is no reason why you shouldn’t like womens MMA.

I don’t watch Gina cause shes good looking….I watch her because shes a great fighter. There is nothing attractive about seeing a pretty girl get punched in the face….If you think so, you might need your head examined lol.

But if you want to look at pretty girls pick up a Maxim or check out the ring girls between rounds. It’s a fight.

That’s what I think about it….If you can watch a fight objectively and watch it as if you were in class at the dojo….then you can do it. If you are picturing a street fight or two girls fighting at a party….sure that is offputting.

Ok let me readdress… I dont wanna call it a problem because I love mma. And Im all for womens competition. So Im down to see two badass women beat the crap out of each other.

I just dont see the reason to “PUSH” womens mma into the spotlight. If the casual fan accepts it(besides just Ginas fights) than great. If not itll still have a spot in the mma world.

Women have been very supportive of the sport as fans of it as well and I think there is just as much interest in who is the best woman in the world because they are still pushing the limits of thier bodies to the max just like the men do.

But you don’t see as much female MMA out there as a casual fan, you often have to look for it. If the women arn’t on the cards that everybody (including the men) are watching, then how are we (and ultimately the “cringing” men)supposed to watch it……

You CAN however, have female fights mixed with male fights on a card. It isn’t like the WNBA or LPGA where it has to be 100% women. All somebody has to do is give these women fights on good cards…..And of course collect all the top female fighters as I suggested earlier. I think they just need a chance and they can develop thier side of the sport quite a bit.

But of course ultimately the fact is that male fighters will always be considered more dangerous in comparison pound for pound, but who knows maybe one day a certain woman will crush those perceptions. We might one day see the top 145lb woman face off against the top 145lb man for example. I don’t know if that will ever/should ever happen though. THAT makes me uncomfortable.

The problem i see in your posts is your treating womens mma as a charity case. “We should welcome womens mma just as much as mens”. We can welcome it but i think were gonna have to realize that womens mma is never gonna be as big as a draw as mens. Just because the competition and skill level grows doesnt necessarily mean hihger ratings. Mma is a spectator sport. I think we overlook that fact a little too much.

It may be awkward in training to spar with a woman or to think of fighting a woman if you are a man. But two women fighting has nothing to do with anything except the technical skills displayed and the heart and desire it takes to compete in such a sport.

Not only do MMA fighters IN GENERAL deserve our respect for the type of sport they compete in……but isn’t this the greatest sport in the world, with the greatest athletes? They should be respected in that way.

I mean that in the sense of inside the cage, and outside the cage. I think it is totally unnacceptable when i read disrespectful comments about womens MMA, about how they are no where near the level of men MMA fighters and because of that they should not take part – they are not to the same level maybe.. but that is mainly due to the lack of exposure, which means less fights and less experience and less hardcore training. As womens MMA grows, so will the skill level of the fighters. Just as mens MMA has grown, so has the skill level of the fighters…. I read the other day, how it lowered someones opinion of a female because she was a fighter… Now that IMO is disgusting. If we, as real MMA fans want this sport, to be RECOGNISED as a sport… Then women MMA or just women martial arts in general, needs to be televised more – but in a positive light. In a positive press. For MMA to expand, it needs to be recognised as a sport with proper rules and regulations, that is safe to take part in for ALL ages and sexes – because the competitors are looked after, as they would be in any other sport.

I will definetly be tuning in to watch the Strikeforce event. The fact that Carano vs Cyborg is a main event over a fight like Babalu vs Mousassi is a major breakthrough in womens MMA and just MMA in general, I think it is more than needed to expand this sport. I respect anyone who chooses to step in that octagon and fight, women or men. And so should everybody else.

I will have my TV tuned into Showtime to watch this card. I am pulling for Cyborg. I have several reasons , the main being she scares the shit out of me. Also, she is a strong woman and is well rounded. I don’t think we really know who good either woman is. Their competition as of yet is lackluster at best. Neither has been pushed to their limits. I am hoping to see that on this fight.

It must be aknowledged as well that there are fight fans who are uncomfortable watching women in combat sports. It would seem to me the argument is similar to the general sentiment regarding MMA in total: if you don’t dig it, don’t watch it.

Specifically in terms of women’s MMA, I’ve seen several fights that were excellent, with well trained athletes who really went for it. Cristiane Santos is one of those fighters. Also saw some good women’s matches in Bodog fights. Where things get thin in women’s MMA is the depth of the competitors available to field interesting matches. Beyond the first tier of experienced, seasoned fighters who really know the game, there are just not that many female athletes who have trained long enough or hard enough to make watching them in the ring in any way compelling or entertaining.

Forgetting for a moment that Gina Carano is hot, she can fight. Check out pictures of Cyborg Santos, and you’re looking at a seriously ripped muscular woman, who can punch and go to the ground, having trained muy thai and BJJ, predominantly with men. These two will be raising the profile of women’s MMA with their title bout, but what remains to be seen is if there are other quality matches out there that fans will be interested in seeing, as well as enough depth of field to make women’s MMA a going concern in any promotion.

It’s a dumb argument.

Thanks for the support though.

Yes I will take Mousasi vs Babalu over watching either Coleman or Bonnar fight anyone. Even my Grandma without her dentures in.

From what I’ve seen and read, Gina is a great ambassador of the sport. I will watch the fights b/c I love the sport. I don’t care which promotion hosts the fights: I have tremendous respect for anyone brave enough to step in and give it a go. It is truly compelling.

It also might from a fighting standpoint that you could have some men watch the fight and say “Oh thats cool that their fighting, but they’re girls and any guy off the street could take them).That isnt how I think but it could be one of the hurdles they face.

I for one will watch because it is on a pretty good card of fights. However, I stand by my claim from a while back when I say that this shouldnt be the main event.