Tate vs. Rousey: Women's MMA Needs Ronda Rousey to Win Bantamweight Title

For the first time in the history of United States women's mixed martial arts, there is a must-see fight that does not involve Gina Carano.

No disrespect to all of the women that do this for a living, but Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey are generating more interest in the division than anyone in a long time. 

The biggest reason for that is the pre-fight performance, cockiness and brashness of "Rowdy" Ronda. She has been the talk of Strikeforce for the last six months. All of her fights have ended with an armbar in the first minute. 

Seven fights—four professional and three amateur—all victories for Rousey right away. She is the biggest potential moneymaker that women's MMA has had since Carano's last fight, in 2009. 

The best part of Rousey's rise to prominence is her understanding of the business side of mixed martial arts. 

Tate is a great fighter who deserves to get mainstream attention, but she doesn't have the charm and charisma that resonates with a large audience. 

Rousey, on the other hand, has embraced everything that she has to do in order to get fans watching her fights. Here is what she said about that in an article from Loretta Hunt on Sports Illustrated:

"

"When I looked at the state of women's MMA, what I saw was that it was missing rivalries or anything theatrical about it. Everybody was trying to be Miss America, unwilling to go under any kind of criticism, and taking the safe answers. I thought I needed to do whatever I could to get attention."

"

That is exactly what you want to hear from one of your fighters if you are running a business, which Zuffa and Strikeforce are. The reason that Rousey is getting this title shot now is because of her willingness and ability to hard-sell a fight. 

If we are just looking at records, Sarah Kaufman would be getting this title shot. But Rousey embraces everything else, and has the look and personality to get people invested in a fight. 

Rousey has superstar potential as a fighter—all you have to do is look at her previous fights to see that. She has everything else to be a true drawing card for women's mixed martial arts. 

Strikeforce needs stars to remain a viable organization since UFC has (rightfully) taken all of its major fighters, with the exception of Gilbert Melendez. Rousey has the most potential for this organization, but it is dependent on her walking away from this fight with Tate as champion. 

Women's mixed martial arts, at least in this country, has been looking for that fighter who can take the mantle left behind from Carano's absence—and it's unclear if she will ever return. Rousey is the best bet to handle the role, and she has embraced everything that encompasses it. 

Even if you are rooting for Tate, a Rousey victory on Saturday night is the best thing for the sport. 

Follow @adamwells1985