YES! YES! YES! YES!
Ronda Rousey confirmed for ESPN The Magazine's 'The Body Issue'
ESPN The Magazine today announced the list of athletes to be included in this year's "Body Issue," and Strikeforce women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey (5-0 MMA, 3-0 SF) is among them.
MMAjunkie.com first reported Rousey's inclusion in the issue, which hits stands July 13.
"The Body Issue" features pro athletes in various states of undress (with strategic hand and equipment placement). Rousey joins Gina Carano and Jon Jones as mixed martial artists who've been featured in the always-popular edition of the magazine.
As Strikeforce formally announced on Monday, Rousey is set to make her first title defense at "Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman," which takes place Aug. 18 at Valley View Casino Center in San Diego. The event airs live on Showtime and Showtime Extreme.
Rousey won the belt this past March by submitting Miesha Tate in the first round of their headlining fight at "Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey." The event scored an impressive 431,000 Showtime viewers, a 25 percent increase from the promotion's previous big event, "Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine." The March 3 event peaked with 506,000 viewers during Rousey's bout.
In five pro appearances, Rousey, who won a bronze medal representing the U.S. in judo at the 2008 Olympics, has yet to see the second round and has dispatched all of her opponents via armbar.
For more on Rousey's next fight at "Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman," stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.