Marloes Coenen does not rule out return to Strikeforce, works on vacation

Coenen (bottom) in better days, against Liz Carmouche (Esther Lin/Strikeforce)

Marloes Coenen’s vacation to Middle America hardly has gone off without a hitch.

The Dutchwoman (Twitter:@MarloesCoenen) is a confessed fan of Americana.  Coenen’s plan for this trip was work-then-play: head to the Chicago suburbs, retain her Strikeforce 135-pound title against Miesha Tate, then embark on a two-week fun ride into Kansas.

Not so fast, my friend.

Coenen, a guest on Rear Naked Choke Radio on the MMA DieHards Radio Network, revealed the details of how things turned against her.

First, her good friend and Golden Glory teammate Alistair Overeem was released from Strikeforce despite being the heavyweight champion.  That put her on notice.

Then Coenen lost her title to Tate.  A few days thereafter, she was shown the door by Zuffa, along with teammates John Olav Einemo and Valentijn Overeem, Alistair’s older and less-accomplished brother.

“It’s quite (surreal),” Coenen said. “Prior to the fight, Alistair was cut.  He is, in my opinion, one of the best — if not the best — heavyweight fighter in the world.  And if they cut him, it gives you something to think about because we know (what) Dana (White) thinks about women’s fighting.  You take it with you into the fight.”

Coenen took those thoughts, along with the Strikeforce belt, into the cage with her that night.  She left with only the thoughts.

“After losing the fight and finding out one or two days later that I was cut, it was not a complete surprise, because of everything that happened to Alistair,” she said.  ”But it was a big shock to me.”

Tate scored a stunning submission in the fourth round of a closely contested fight.  Coenen, who practically invented the women’s side of the sport in the late 1990s and toiled in anonymity to all but the diehards throughout the millennium’s first decade, had never been submitted.

When Tate locked in her arm triangle, Coenen still did not think she was in danger.

Among the head-spinning events of those few days, Coenen’s tap to Tate might end up being the most shocking of all.  An air of disbelief resonated in Coenen’s voice when she recalled 11 days later the final moments of her championship run.

“It was a big surprise to me,” she said. “I never thought Miesha could make me tap.  And even when she was setting up the (arm triangle) choke, in training hardly anyone can make me tap from that one.  So I was still quite relaxed, but all of a sudden I did have to tap.”

Coenen has not yet watched the fight — why spoil her vacation?  She says she will get to it in a few weeks.   In the mean time, there will be no excuses.  While she believes she lost fair and square, certainly Coenen wants a rematch with Tate.

That’s out of Coenen’s control.  The Golden Girl of Team Golden Glory will abide by whatever the higher-ups at the company negotiate.  If that means sifting through the four or five offers she says have already come, then so be it.  She also mentioned fighting for the United Glory promotion in a Russian show in October.

A return to Strikeforce is not out of the question, as Golden Glory head man Bas Boon explained via statement to Fighters Only some of the details behind the scenes leading up to his fighters’ respective releases.  The statement appeared to be an olive branch sent from Boon to Zuffa in order to open negotiations to get Overeem into the UFC, but Coenen would stand to benefit as well.  Her division can certainly use her in the championship mix, as rematches against Tate and new No. 1 contender Sarah Kaufman would be obvious draws.

“The fact they cut me, it has to be politics,” Coenen said.  ”It tells me there’s a good chance they won’t continue with the female division.  So we need to find a new place for the good of the fighter.  I’ve got the idea that wherever I end up, more girls will come and be cut from Strikeforce.   I love America, so hopefully it will happen here. I’m open to fight anywhere because I have to make a living, but I really hope it will happen here in the States, too, because with all the females here … we can inspire women around the world.  I think America is a really good place for it because it’s the epicenter of the sport.”

Part of that epicenter is Twitter, Facebook and the emerging world of social networking.

Her 5,000-plus Twitter followers and the 7,000 more that like her on Facebook were treated to a picture of Coenen’s fight-night check of $37,506 (US), amid other photos of amusement park trips and getting caught in the rain.

The unusual photo was broadcast while accusations were flying from both sides about the reasons behind the Zuffa dispute with Golden Glory.  Coenen was protecting and showing loyalty to Golden Glory, which has taken care of her and fellow fighters throughout the years.

A week removed, most of the details from both sides of the mess have been laid out.  In the MMA business, reactions can be volatile.  Fortunately, memories are short.

“Later on, my management told me Dana is only (being) given information by other people,” she said.  ”Nobody really has responded in a perfect way.  I was really surprised by that with all the love they showed me.  But at the end of the day, we fight where they pay you and if Dana changes his mind and welcomes the fighters back, I guess then I’m confident we’ll be fighting there again.

“We will take time before I make my decision.”

Meanwhile, she is clearing her head with summer fun and a little training ahead of the return to her Netherlands home.

“First we were in Kansas City, and I was there before and loved it,” Coenen said.  ”Then she (Golden Glory representative Shannon Knapp) took me to her favorite lake for a real Midwest vacation and it’s even better.

“I like to drive the speed boat, I’ve never done that in my life.  We did also the water tubing.  It almost gave me a concussion.  It was fun.”

Finally, a vacation without a hitch.