Strikeforce 135 pound champion Ronda Rousey (left) Photo Credit: Esther Lin/Showtime

By Michael Hatamoto

Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey may take one more fight before a potential showdown against Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Santos, according to Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker.

Cyborg’s suspension officially ends in December, and she has remained in shape by training and competing in BJJ tournaments.

An expected catchweight for Rousey vs. Cyborg still hasn’t been determined, and it’s a sticking point neither side wants to budge from.  In addition, Tito Ortiz, Cyborg’s latest manager, noted that a fight with Rousey wouldn’t take place at 135 pounds for “health-wise” reasons.

Unfortunately, Coker has become more of a shill of an MMA promoter since the Zuffa acquisition of Strikeforce in 2011.  Besides a fight between Rousey and Cyborg – at any weight – there really aren’t viable opponents for the American Judoka in women’s MMA.

Coker can say whatever he likes, but Rousey cannot fight again if there simply is no one there to challenge her in the Strikeforce cage.

It seems like Marloes Coenen, Tara LaRosa, or Sara McMann could be in the mix, but it’s hard to see any of those women posing much of a challenge against Rousey.  Furthermore, McMann admits she wants to get more experience – less than two years into a pro fighting career – before she tries to step into the cage against Rousey.

Even with a potential partnership between Strikeforce and Invicta FC, Rousey sits alone at the top of the bantamweight division.  I’m okay with her waiting on the sidelines for Cyborg, especially since Rousey clearly is the pound-for-pound best female fighter today.