Kaufman vs Young Set For EliteXC

by Robert Sargent

Adding to an already impressive lineup for their upcoming "A Night of Champions" event on November 8th, EliteXC has put together a women's bout between knockout artist Kaitlin Young and undefeated Canadian striker Sarah Kaufman.

The bout will be Kaufman's first since defeating Molly Helsel in March, as she was left without a promotion to compete for, while Young seeks to rebound from her defeat to Gina Carano.

Kaufman (7-0-0), still undefeated and with all victories coming by some form of knockout, was the reigning Hardcore Championship Fighting Women's Bantamweight Champion until the promotion abruptly folded earlier this year. Already established as the top female fighter in Canada, Kaufman looked to display her talents elsewhere, but could not find a fight until now.

Young (4-2-0), on the other hand, became an overnight sensation with her trio of devastating knockouts over Suzi Smith, Miesha Tate and Patti Lee at a one-night HOOKnSHOOT tournament last November. She defeated all three opponents in a combined time of less than two minutes to become the HOOKnSHOOT Women's Tournament Champion.

While Kaufman has yet to taste defeat, Young has dropped her past two fights. Like Kaufman, all of Young's victories have come by way of knockout, though Young is known more for her extreme striking power, whereas Kaufman overwhelms her opponents with non-stop flurries of less-damaging but equally effective strikes.

Young's success in the HOOKnSHOOT tournament earned her high praise from the likes of top-ranked female fighter Tara LaRosa, and also resulted in Young signing a contract to compete in BodogFIGHT. However, Young was submitted by Sara Schneider in her debut, and BodogFIGHT folded soon after.

While both were left without promotions to compete for, it was Young who was first noticed by EliteXC, and they signed her to a contract to face Gina "Conviction" Carano at EliteXC's debut event on CBS in May. In an all-out war with Carano, Young was deemed unfit to continue after the end of the second round due to massive swelling around her left eye. Though still known for her vicious power, Young now needs a big win in order to keep her career on the rise.

For Kaufman, this is her toughest test to date, but also the biggest audience of her career. Having already competed in showcased events for Hardcore Championship Fighting and TKO Major League MMA in Canada, Kaufman will now take her skills south of the border and compete in front of millions of fans on Showtime and The Fight Network.

Though the fight could potentially go to the ground at any time, it is likely that this bout will take place on the feet from start to finish. Young's devastating power will match up against Kaufman's relentless offence and aggression.


EliteXC: "A Night of Champions" will take place on November 8th, and will be headlined by an EliteXC Middleweight Championship bout between champion "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler and challenger "Smokin'" Joe Villasenor.