Miesha Tate vs Julie Kedzie Targeted For August 18 StrikeforceFormer Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Champion Miesha “Takedown” Tate returns to action on August 18th at Strikeforce: “Rousey vs Kaufman” in San Diego, California. The grappling specialist faces Jackson’s MMA Series champ Julie “Fireball” Kedzie in a featured bantamweight matchup.

The promotion officially announced the bout today. Both fighters will look to rebound from recent setbacks. Tate’s six-fight winning streak came to an end in March when she was submitted by current champ “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey. Kedzie dropped a Unanimous Decision in her Strikeforce debut.

Tate (12-3-0) made her Strikeforce debut just over four years ago and she has posted a 5-2 record in bouts under the Strikeforce banner. In August 2010, Tate earned a shot at the Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Championship by winning a one-night tournament. Her bid for the title was delayed due to an injury, but Tate made the most of the opportunity by becoming the first woman to ever submit then-champion Marloes “Rumina” Coenen on July 30, 2011. Tate’s championship reign was short-lived, however, as she fell victim to an armbar from the unbeaten Rousey in March. Tate has been out of action since the bout with Rousey while rehabbing an elbow injury, but now looks to get right back into the title hunt with a win in August.

Kedzie (16-10-0) is one of the most experienced female fighters in the sport and she has battled many of the top fighters in the 135-pound women’s division throughout her eight-year career. Kedzie has won four of her past six fights and she became the first Jackson’s MMA Series Women’s Bantamweight Champion with a hard-fought Unanimous Decision victory over Kaitlin Young in April 2011. The win earned Kedzie a spot on the Strikeforce roster, but she suffered a disappointing defeat against Alexis Davis in her promotional debut. The uneventful bout with Davis was contested almost entirely in the clinch against the cage, where Kedzie was unable to mount much offence. She has vowed that her second appearance for Strikeforce will be nothing like the first.

The future of Strikeforce remains uncertain, but the bout between Tate and Kedzie is a pivotal matchup that may determine a number one contender for the Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Championship. The title will be on the line in the main event of the August 18th card when Rousey defends against another former champion, Sarah Kaufman.

Strikeforce: “Rousey vs Kaufman” takes place on August 18th at Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California. The event airs live on Showtime in the U.S. and Super Channel in Canada.

 

 

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

  1. I really like Julie, but I am not so keen on the Greg Jackson wall’n’stall style she developed in her last two fights.

    I think Miesha will win , although not sure how her arm healed after her last fight. Hope she is back 100%.