MMARising.com: Switching focus, your name has recently been brought up a number of times as a potential addition to the Strikeforce 135-pound women’s division, and I am certainly among the many individuals who hope that you are able to debut for the company in the near future. What are your thoughts on becoming a member of the Strikeforce roster?
Roxanne: I would love to become a part of the Strikeforce roster. Now, all I can do is train and hope to get an offer. Calling out people hasn’t been working for me, haha. There are a lot of women in Strikeforce that I’d like to fight.
MMARising.com: Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker has recently stated that he would like to establish mini-tournaments for both the 135- and 145-pound women’s divisions. Personally, I feel that it would be more appropriate for you to bypass the tournament and face Sarah Kaufman to crown the first Strikeforce Women’s 135-Pound (“Featherweight” in Strikeforce, rather than the traditional “Bantamweight” for 135) Champion. Do you feel that you should get an immediate shot at the title or are you fine with working your way through a tournament?
Roxanne: I just want to have fun fights against strong opponents, so wherever they want to put me in, I’m happy!
MMARising.com: If you do, in fact, have to make your way through a tournament in order to capture the title, who are some opponents that you expect to face along the way?
Roxanne: I’d love to fight Amanda Buckner, Shayna Baszler, Meisha Tate and Kaitlin Young. Everybody at 135!
MMARising.com: Should you become a champion in Strikeforce somewhere down the line, what would that mean for your career and your notoriety among the North American audience?
Roxanne: Hopefully that means that I’ll get to fight more often, and on TV maybe! That would rock.
MMARising.com: This past Saturday, Strikeforce crowned its first female champion when Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos mauled Gina Carano for the better part of one round and stopped her just before the 5:00 mark to capture the Strikeforce Women’s Lightweight (145-Pound) Championship. What are your thoughts on that fight?
Roxanne: Cyborg overpowered Gina with physical force and willpower and, of course, technique. Cyborg is the better fighter. It was a good fight. They both got mount once and Gina was trying her moves. Cyborg was just better.
MMARising.com: Immediately afterwards, speculation began as to who should get the first crack at Cyborg. Currently, old foes Marloes Coenen and Erin Toughill are engaged in a war of words and each feels that they are deserving of getting the next shot. However, your name has also been brought up numerous times. Would you consider a move up to 145 to face Cyborg for the title or are you more comfortable at 135?
Roxanne: I’m hoping to stay in the 135-pound division.
MMARising.com: Speaking of Coenen, I had the chance to talk to her for quite some time after the post-fight press conference on Saturday. Though she is now competing at 145, she believes that she should have won the first fight against you (and feels that you were lucky to escape round one) and seems to be quite set on facing you again at some point. Assuming that a suitable weight could be arranged for the fight, is that a rematch that would interest you or are you more focused on other challengers?
Roxanne: I guess you could say that I’m more focused on other challengers in my own weight division. As I said before about luck, we all have those moments when we don’t do as well as we expected. Shayna caught me in her modified chicken wing (lovingly named the “shwing”), which basically put the brakes on my MMA career. I can’t say that I’d never rematch Marloes, though. I love that lady. I hope she gets her big fight soon!