Kim Couture Says MMA Rules Should Be the Same for Women and Men, I Say She's Right

After the serious beating that Kim Couture took in her professional mixed martial arts debut, many observers have used the fight as evidence that women's MMA should consist of three-minute rounds, rather than five-minute rounds. Couture appeared on ESPN Radio in Las Vegas to make her case that women should be treated the same as men inside the cage:

I agree with Couture: There's no reason that females can't make it through five-minute rounds, and shorter rounds wouldn't have prevented her broken jaw and bloody face. I like Couture, I like women's MMA, and I think that aside from obvious differences like having female competitors wear shirts and including pregnancy tests with pre-fight physicals, women's MMA should be treated the same as men's MMA.

However, I do agree with ESPN Radio hosts Cofield & Cokin (whose show I have appeared on) that Couture came across as ill-prepared for the fight, and that it's a good thing for the sport that the fight wasn't televised. Couture may some day be a good pro fighter, but right now she'd be better off sparring with amateurs.

Previously on FanHouse:
Kim Couture: Kim Rose Broke My Jaw When I Tried to Touch Gloves
Couture Bloodied in Pro MMA Debut, Loses by Unanimous Decision