Sara McMann will step into the cage on July 28 at an Invicta Fighting Championships card to fight Shayna Baszler, in an event that will be streamed live and for free at InvictaFC.com

Like Ronda Rousey, McMann is 5-0, and a former Olympian, even besting her, winning a Silver Medal in freestyle wrestling to Rousey’s Bronze in Judo.

I am in this much more for the sport aspect, McMann told Full Contact Fighter. Earlier in my career I was told to get out there and trash talk and make a scene, but this is my legacy. This is who I am as a person. I am not willing to sacrifice that. I would rather be poor and who I am. This is who I am – take it or leave it.

I think (MMA) is growing tremendously. Not only by the number of young girls and women who are entering the sport, but people’s perceptions are changing. I think Invicta is the frontrunner of pursuing this. Women are dedicating their lives to this and Invicta is showcasing the cream of the crop and I think it is awesome.

I think Strikeforce is really great and I would hate for all the fighters to have to find a new contract, but Invicta is determined to have a role for great women fighters. It could be a bad thing or it could be a good thing if Strikeforce were to go away.

Either way, McMann one day see herself fighting Rousey inside the cage.

I think that will absolutely happen, McMann said.

I wouldn’t term her a role model, not one that I would want my daughter to look up to. She’s intelligent in marketing. Either she doesn’t mind what she is saying or she doesn’t mind riling people up.”

As an athlete I most certainly respect her skills and her throws and submissions. But as far as something to look up to? I don’t feel like that.

I don’t want my daughter to say things to just get people’s attention. She is getting a tremendous amount of attention. It is not something that I want to do and I am glad that the other girls don’t do that.

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