Saturday night's main card showdown between current Strikeforce welterweight champion Marloes Coenen and Strikeforce women's welterweight tournament champion Miesha Tate is another opportunity for women to make a mark with fans. More prominent women's match-ups in the past haven't surpassed that of the epic Gina Carano vs. 'Cyborg' Santos ratings, which spiked to 856,000 during the main event match-up, and many fans have criticized the female segment of the sport for poorly proving their worth to the thousands watching when the chance presented itself.
The most recent that comes to mind was the headlining bout between Sarah Kaufman and Takayo Hashi in February of last year. The fight was an one-sided unanimous decision win for Kaufman, winning her the Strikeforce welterweight crown. Unfortunately, the performance didn't win the hearts of some mixed martial arts fans as it was a rather lengthy and dull affair. We can analyze the match-up and come away with questions regarding Kaufman's opponent and her style of fighting, but in the grand scheme of things -- business is what matters the most and the casual crowd is only taking a cursory glance at such events.
There is some thought among the MMA community that women need their Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar moment for legitimacy with casual fans. They need that one great toe-to-toe battle that will break the ceiling that is holding down their worth to the majority of the demographic. But I'd argue that there is a myriad of issues that would need to be addressed, and the very real possibility that some of the issues are cultural and gender-specific boundaries that women will struggle to breakthrough with a demographic that is dominated by males. Don't be fooled by Dana White's proclamation that 45% of the UFC's fanbase is women. It isn't.
The biggest hindrance is the historical debate of men vs. women in sports in general. There is a reason why the WNBA is far less successful than the NBA, and a women's professional football league isn't mainstream. As a friend once put it to me, why would I want to see less speed, less strength, less BOOM! when I'm watching football? That's the general notion among the male demographic that doesn't follow the sport as avidly as the hardcore fan, at least in our sport. The majority of those hardcore fans, however, may have that very sentiment about the female version of their favorite mainstream sports.
The cultural issue, or perhaps we should call it a genetic issue, is that men are obviously attracted to the opposite sex. Some of us have lives that are filled with "manly things" and we love to see braun and grit battle it out in the cage on a Saturday night with friends. We can't have these women with their glitter and unicorns prancing around a cage! Unless... it's a woman who looks good in a bikini. Then, we're all for it, right?
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It'd be nice to believe that society is past this sort of objectification, but I must admit -- it's tough for the male contingent to control their testosterone levels, unless you're Nate Marquardt. Zing! I'm willing to admit that there is some added intrigue in seeing a beauty snap on the leather gloves and go to war in the cage. Physical attraction along with the notion that "a beautiful woman like that probably can't fight, can she?" creates an environment of curiosity. That's life, and that isn't changing any time soon. Unless a promoter can find a way to find highly-skilled female fighters who all fall out of a Victoria Secret catalog, women's mixed martial arts will sadly stay on the beaten path unless there is a progression, as a whole, in the skills and finishing tactics of women. And even if that happens, which there is some evidence that it is, I'm skeptical due to the constraints of society and the lacking interest from the demographic.
There are more tangible reasons that women's MMA isn't on the rise. Dana White isn't wrong in his thinking that the niche isn't large enough to support competitive divisions. As MMANation.com's own Luke Thomas has pointed out on multiple occasions, the UFC's featherweight division doesn't have the depth to truly moniker one of its fighters as a world's best fighter. Until the division fills out with a bevy of respectable challengers for a prolonged period of time, it's difficult to argue that one of its champions is a pound-for-pound king. Women's MMA has a similar, but deeper problem. When a relatively green 5-0 fighter like Liz Carmouche nearly crushes a twenty-three fight veteran like Marloes Coenen, it is a clear sign that the divisions need time to grow and fill out.
Top-billed bouts haven't enjoyed emphatic victories from their winners. Santos beat the tar out of Gina Carano, but has there been as mainstream of women's bout since that was finished that brutally? I think, in general, I've enjoyed the women's portion of the sport much more this year than last, and I think that's mainly due to some great matchmaking from promoters and the injection of more women into the fold who are getting the training they need to succeed. But will women actually climb the ladder of relevance because of that alone?
Let's be realistic here. Sex sells, and it may be the only immediate means to drawing the eyes of fans who don't expect to see legitimate talent fight it out in the cage. Sure, it may not be the end game among female fans and fighters, but it serves as a vehicle to get butts in seats and eyes on the television. Both Marloes Coenen and Meisha Tate are easy on the eyes, and perhaps some fans tuning in may jokingly babble back and forth -- "Hey look, two hotties are gonna fight!". Hopefully this Saturday night, both women put it on the line and change the perceptions of a few of the thousands watching.