A woman’s strawweight fight between Randa Markos and Karolina Kowalkiewicz will serve as the opening fight on the main card of UFC On FOX 17 in Florida on December 19th.
That’s a high profile spot for both ladies, especially given that the likes of Myles Jury Vs Charles Oliveira, CB Dollaway Vs Nate Marquardt and Sarah Kaufman Vs Germaine de Randamie are all taking place on the prelims, though it should be noted that the aforementioned bouts will also still be airing on ‘big’ FOX as well.
So why has this bout ended up getting the main card love? Well, for one thing woman’s MMA is enjoying a surge in popularity at the moment thanks to Ronda Rousey now becoming a bonifide mainstream star, so it makes sense to ride that wave of momentum by having a female fight on the FOX show which will be watched by millions of fans.
The 30 year-old Markos is also a significant player in the strawweight division where she’s ranked No.7 and is coming off a win over Aisling Daily at UFC 186 back in April.
On the other hand, the Polish born Kowalkiewicz is a newcomer to the UFC, but there’s high hopes for the 29 year-old who’s already considered one of the best 115lb’ers in the world thanks to a perfect 7-0 record in her MMA career to date, so she’s definitely one to watch.
