Friday night, Kaufman makes her return to the cage, defending her title for the first time against Roxanne Modafferi. While the top two female welterweights are inexplicably playing second fiddle to a main event of Shane Del Rosario versus Lolohae Mahe, Kaufman has no time to focus on where she’s slated on the fight card. Instead, she’s channelling all her attention into putting on a dominant performance against Modafferi, and hoping she stands by her pre-fight promises.
“She’s not going to run away,” explained Kaufman. “Well, she says she’s not going to run away. After a few punches she might decide she’s going to run away, and if she does, I think the fans will be disappointed because she’s already stated she’s going to stand. I hope the fans hold her to it.”
An action-packed encounter might be the missing piece of the puzzle that has Kaufman taking a step back on the schedule while remaining mired on a Challengers series event instead of being showcased on a larger Strikeforce card. Her 145-pound counterpart Cris Cyborg has maintained her momentum since stopping Gina Carano last summer by brutalizing both Marloes Coenen and Jan Finney, two opponents who normally compete in Kaufman’s 135-pound division.
With potential opponents stepping on the scale ten pounds heavier and having the chance to showcase their skills on a much bigger stage, and Kaufman ranking alongside Cyborg as one of the best female fighters in the business, questions about a contest between the two are unavoidable.
“Cyborg is a fight that could very well possibly happen somewhere down the road,” admitted Kaufman when asked about the 145-pound champion. “We’re both at the top of our divisions; it’s probably something that Strikeforce kind of wants. I would definitely consider doing it in the future, and I don’t think it would be a terrible fight for me.”
Should Kaufman come away from her first title defence with the women’s welterweight belt still around her waist, the talk of a champion vs. champion clash with Cyborg will only intensify. For the time being, the unbeaten Canadian is only focused on the task at hand, beating Roxanne Modafferi in impressive fashion Friday night.
“This fight with Roxanne, it’s not going to go five rounds. With a finish like that, I think I would have to be moved up.”