Saturday night at Invicta FC 4, Shayna Baszler will square off once again with the very dangerous Alexis Davis. The two met previously in 2010 when Baszler walked away with a unanimous decision. Both girls are talented and exciting, and promise to put on one of the best fights of the night.
We had a chance to talk with Shayna just hours before she steps in the cage with Davis for one of the most important fights of her career. With Ronda Rousey getting the call to introduce women's MMA into the UFC, Baszler's name is one that is thrown out as a potential future opponent for her. Obviously, with that fight, it would mean the highest profile contest she has ever been involved in. And although she is more than happy with her place in Invicta right now, she would relish the opportunity to put an end to the hype surrounding the undefeated Ronda Rousey.
"I think I would pose a different type of threat to her than anyone she has faced before. Just with my catch wrestling style background, it's a difficult style to replicate.," Baszler said when asked how she would match up with Ronda Rousey.
However, Baszler is not making that her primary goal, as she is very happy with her place in Invicta FC and all they have done to legitimize women's MMA. After years of difficulties finding opponents and places to fight, it is Invicta that has finally brought stability to her, and others like her looking for a place to finally call home. This will be her third fight inside the promotion, and that is something that has not been lost on her.
"It's nice to know when I will be fighting. I know pretty much after my fights when my next fight will be. It's Invicta. So there is no fear of a fight not happening because a girl backs out. I know if I have a fight scheduled, it's going to be happening. Job security that Invicta brings is awesome, and as long as there are bodies to be destroyed, I will be there to destroy them," she said when asked about the advantages of competing under the Invicta banner.
While there are still those that don't appreciate women's MMA, and have no idea there are females out there putting on great fights who are not named Ronda Rousey, Invicta has done a tremendous job in moving the sport forward. In presenting their fighters as more than a sideshow and proving that they can carry a card by themselves, they are giving legitimate athletes and fighters such as Shayna Baszler a place to do what they do best in a setting that appreciates that. And the more people that are exposed to the product, the more fans they will inevitably gain.
Women have come so far in the sport and it's no longer filled with girls just throwing windmill punches and doing everything short of pulling each others hair. In fact, these girls can be as technical as any of the men you will see fighting at the highest levels. And fighters like Shayna Baszler are just as exciting as any you will see competing on a UFC pay-per-view.
Invicta FC 4 can be seen live on internet pay-per-view for just $7.95. It airs Saturday, January 5th at 6 PM Central, and features the first ever strawweight title fight between Carla Esparza and Bec Hyatt.. Visit www.InvictaFC.com for more details.
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