After 8-month layoff, Sarah Kaufman returns to the cage at Strikeforce Challengers

Not only is Sarah Kaufman fighting on Friday’s Strikeforce Challengers VI card, not only is she on the main card, where she will square off with Takayo Hashi for the promotion’s inaugural women’s welterweight title, she (and Hashi) are the main event of the evening.

Sounds great to me. I love seeing women’s MMA getting the higher-profile treatment, especially when the bout doesn’t involve the obvious glamour factor of a Gina Carano. Watching these two 135-pounders have at it should be a blast.

Now, I can’t speak for Hashi. I know little about the 12-1 Smackgirl vet and Strikeforce newcomer. But Kaufman – wow. She’s 10-0 with some of the sharpest striking in the game, strong takedown defense and some serious submissions skills. No joke.

As for the rest of the main card, expect Karl Amoussou vs. Trevor Prangley; Paul Bradley vs. Luke Rockhold; Tarec Saffiedine vs. James Terry; and Raul Castillo vs. Yancy Medeiros.