Strikeforce
New Strikeforce Champ Ronda Rousey has no regrets on any damage done by armbar against Miesha Tate
Mar 5, 2012 - 10:45:07 AM New Strikeforce Champ Ronda Rousey has no regrets on any damage done by armbar against Miesha Tate

DISCUSS ALL THIS IN OUR NEW MMATORCH FORUM

...OH, ONE MORE THING - PLEASE BOOKMARK US & VISIT DAILY!

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Ronda Rousey did what she does best on Saturday night in her bout against Miesha Tate, capturing the Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Championship with perhaps the most brutal submission in women's MMA history.

Rousey caught Tate in an armbar for the second time late in the first round, and continued wrenching the hold in a terrible direction until Tate finally came to her senses and tapped. However, it wasn't before some serious damage was likely done. Still, you won't find Rousey batting an eye about the injury to Tate, as it was Tate's responsibility to tap out, and Rousey's to hold on until she did.

"She's a tough chick," Rousey said in an interview with MMAJunkie.com. "That hurts. I've had my elbow dislocated before, and that's no fun. But the rule is in judo that even if it's dislocated, and they don't tap, you've got to keep going. I don't think the referee should be criticized for not stopping it because those are the rules I'm used to."

There may have been some personal satisfaction involved for Rousey, especially with the turn that happened in the conversation leading up to the fight. Both of them had built up a little bad blood in the media prior to Saturday's event in Columbus, Ohio, but for Rousey it hadn't truly been that personal. Of course, once Tate's boyfriend - and UFC fighter - Bryan Caraway made a comment about inflicting physical harm on Rousey in a fight, it certainly irked her in some capacity.

"[Caraway] and Miesha were up all night tweeting and trying to defend themselves, and it was all over the front page of MMA.tv, and me and my friend and my mom were just sitting there laughing that they're stressed out and tweeting all night, and we're like, eating trail mix and watching 'The Fifth Element'," Rousey joked. "People have to realize about Twitter, it's not just chatter. You're constantly releasing written statements that even if you delete it right away, it's out there."

"So people (such as Caraway) have to think a little bit more before they say something sexist like that. Because I was like, 'Dude, you ever heard of (tennis player) Billy Jean King?' I mean, who says that? That's my comment. Tweet it."

Penick's Analysis: Rousey doesn't have anything to feel bad about in regards to the submission. She released it as soon as the referee stepped in when Tate submitted, and that's all that can be asked of her. It's not her fault if her opponent doesn't tap in time, especially when she's already had the controversy of letting go of a hold early when an opponent screamed out in pain. She has to make certain she's the victor when she's got that hold on, and an opponent not tapping isn't her responsibility.