COMMENTARY | Mixed martial arts has been dominated by men for much of the sport's existence, and it's easy to see why. Boxing, wrestling, Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu are all combat sports that have long appealed to men. It's not surprising that when those four sports were combined into MMA, men became its core participants.
However, things have changed in the past few years. It began when women such as Tara LaRosa and Miesha Tate went overseas and started competing for organizations like Bodog to make a living. It wasn't easy, but it was a start.
"My first fight was in early 2006, and women's MMA was pretty much nonexistent at that point," Tate said. "Bodog was the first organization, at the time, that embraced women's MMA, but I don't feel like we were given the same treatment as their professional guy fighters were. Nonetheless, it was an opportunity."
Other organizations have stepped up since the days of Bodog. In the United States, Strikeforce and Elite XC led the way by providing opportunities for rising fighters such Cris Cyborg and Gina Carano. Both companies did their best to promote women's MMA, especially when Carano's career took off.
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