Miesha Tate returns at Strikeforce "Rousey vs. Kaufman" against Julie Kedzie

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Miesha Tate nearly had her arm torn off by Ronda Rousey in March, losing her Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Championship only after a nasty armbar had been torqued beyond what she could handle. She put up a hell of a fight once the hold was on, but was unable to get out before the damage was done.

However, she'll now return to action on the same card Rousey makes her first Title defense, as Strikeforce officials announced on Monday that Tate will meet Julie Kedzie on August 18 in San Diego, Calif.

Tate had won six straight fights before the loss to Rousey, capturing the title with a surprising arm triangle choke over Marloes Coenen in July of 2011. Interestingly enough, the August 18 main event between Rousey and Sarah Kaufman features two of the only three fighters who have defeated Tate in her career.

Kedzie, an eight year veteran of the sport, fights in Strikeforce for the second time, and indeed this will be her first fight since that debut last July. She lost that fight by decision against Alexis Davis, whom Kaufman defeated in March to earn her shot at Rousey. That loss snapped a four fight win streak, though she is 8-3 over her last eleven fights.

Penick's Analysis: That's a solid matchup for the women's division. Kedzie doesn't have the greatest record, but she's a very experienced veteran who has fought a lot of well known names in women's MMA. Tate will hope to bounce right back to work towards a rematch with Rousey, and though it will likely require more than just one win, a victory over Kedzie would be a good start. Likewise, Kedzie could make a splash in her second Strikeforce bout if she can pick up a win over the organization's former champion.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Affliction2/article_13735.shtml

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