Strikeforce Saturday night drew 13,524 fans to HP Pavilion for its MMA card headlined by the Cris "Cyborg" Santos-Gina Carano fight, one of the "largest non-UFC crowds in the history of the sport," according to Dave Meltzer of YAHOO SPORTS. The "notion that people weren't interested in seeing women fight was clearly put to rest," as there was "little doubt the crowd came to see Carano, who came across as a star at the level" of fighters Georges St. Pierre and Chuck Liddell. But with Santos defeating Carano in the first round, the "result raises another question: Where will the women's sport wind up when its top fighter is a non-English speaking Brazilian who looks like she's right off the pages of Flex Magazine instead of an American like Carano?" Santos "won't be able to draw Carano's level of attention on her own, but she has star power of her own to make another gigantic match with the right opponent." Meltzer noted it was a "historic night for women's MMA, with an atmosphere equivalent to the biggest men's fights in history," and Carano's "star should not dim because of the loss" ( SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 8/16 ). YAHOO SPORTS' Steve Cofield noted HP Pavilion "rocked before and during the fight." There "wasn't a three second break in the action during the fight and much of the crowd was on its feet" for the entire bout. It "easily matched the atmosphere of any UFC or Strikeforce card featuring all male fighters." But now the "question is, can Strikeforce and women's fighting build the sport around someone who isn't a beauty queen?" But Carano also is "far from finished," as she "proved even in a loss that she's a legitimate fighter" ( SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 8/16 ). LADIES FIRST : SHERDOG.com's Jake Rossen wrote it could be "argued that Strikeforce's most valuable asset isn't Fedor Emelianenko," but rather its "lockdown on female mixed competition, which has outdistanced early catcalls, derision and fan immaturity to become one of the most entertaining and dynamic divisions in the sport" ( SHERDOG.com, 8/16 ). SI.com's Josh Gross noted since the UFC "declines to promote women based on the declaration that there's not enough depth among female competitors to round out divisions," Strikeforce has an "opportunity to corner the market on one, albeit niche, area of the sport." Whether fans "care enough in the long run is a worthwhile question." But a "concerted effort is under way to bolster Strikeforce's female ranks," and highlighting Santos' "tremendous physicality will be key." Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker: "There's a whole different promotional angle you can take with her. ... She's an amazing athlete, and that's how we're going to try and promote her." Meanwhile, Gross noted "Gina Carano," "Cris Cyborg," "MMA" and "Strikeforce" all were among Twitter's 10 trending topics in the hours after Saturday's fight ( SI.com, 8/16 ). get ready to rumble : YAHOO SPORTS' Cofield before Saturday's card wrote the UFC "may be looking up at Showtime's work on the production end," as Showtime and Strikeforce appear to have "ramped it up a bit with the new rivalry developing." Cofield: "It might be time for the UFC to move from the longstanding 'Gladiator' theme and interviews as the lead-in to its fights. Do HBO and other networks have a point in demanding more production control from the UFC if they were to ever forge a deal?" ( SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 8/15 ).
Sponsored content
