By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
"As a fighter as long as I get to fight I?m pretty happy, and I always like to fight new people, so I think that?s great as well... I do see where people are saying she?s never fought at 135, which she hasn?t, so to get a title shot immediately is something people have been definitely criticizing. I can see their reasoning behind it. Why have a tournament and then have someone else fight for the title before them? But I?m just happy and I think she?s a great opponent. Hopefully she proves everyone wrong and she?s going to stay at 135... She?s been around the fight game for ten years, so that?s a lot of experience. I?m pretty sure I?m going to bring enough to bring that win home, but anything can happen. I feel really prepared for this fight."
-Strikeforce Women's 135 lb. Champion Sarah Kaufman talks to MMAWeekly.com about her bout this Saturday with Marloes Coenen on Showtime.
Penick's Analysis: When I asked Scott Coker about what the plan was for tournament winner Meisha Tate on a conference call for this fight, he stated news would be coming out in "the next week or so." That was in the middle of last month, and there is still no word as to what Tate's status is in regards to this title. Is she sitting out until the winner is ready? Is she getting another fight in the interim? So far there are no answers to that, and it's where Strikeforce brings the criticism upon themselves. Like Sarah lays out here, "Why have a tournament and then have someone else fight for the title before them?" Why, indeed.
That's not to take away from the merits of this fight in particular, as Coenen remains as tough a test as any Kaufman will face at 135 lbs., but the fact that they ran a tournament two months prior to this title fight taking place without the winner of that tournament in the spot is nonsensical. There was no reason to book that tournament as early as they did, or to have it play out over one event.
They could have easily done the first round of the tournament on that challengers card, with the fights being full five minute rounds, and then had the winners face off on this card or a challengers event closer to it. Then, people could see the tournament winner in close conjunction with this Saturday's winner, and the next matchup gets set up just fine. But that's not how it went down.
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