The Ronda Rousey Express will hit Southern California later this summer.

Rousey will defend her Strikeforce bantamweight title for the first time against Sarah Kaufman on Aug. 18 in San Diego, Calif., MMAFighting.com has confirmed with sources close to the fight. The promotion is expected to officially announce the date in the coming weeks.


Rousey (5-0) defeated Miesha Tate in March to capture the women's 135-pound belt. The win capped off an impressive year which saw her win her first five fights in a combined time of 7:15.

Kaufman (15-1) secured her spot as the No. 1 contender when she defeated Alexis Davis on the same card in March. The Canadian has won three in a row since losing the 135-pound belt to Marloes Coenen in Oct. 2010.

The card, which will mark the third in San Diego since Zuffa purchased Strikeforce, will air on Showtime.