The UFC could not have written the script any better.
The organization’s first try at promoting women’s MMA – and on a huge stage – was a rousing success. Or should I say a Rousey success?
Ronda Rousey continued her rise to mainstream stardom at UFC 157 by submitting Liz Carmouche with her trademark armbar at 4:49 of the first round to retain her UFC women’s bantamweight title at the Honda Center in Anaheim. The beautiful blonde simply winning would have been fine. But she showed toughness and resolve in an action-packed fight. It was the longest fight of a career that has featured five fights finished in less than a minute.
Carmouche jumped on her back and threatened with a rear naked choke and a neck crank. Rousey kept her poise and shook Carmouche off despite nearly losing her mouth piece attempting to get free of the submission hold.
“I was more concerned with my sports bra staying on while she was choking me because I felt safe and in control,” Rousey said on the Fuel TV post-fight show. “She squeezed across my face and my mouth, and she almost forced my mouth guard out. I didn’t try to bite her. She put her hand in my mouth. Sorry.”
Carmouche fell to the canvas and Rousey adjusted her top, seemingly saying, “OK, it’s my turn now.” The champion pounced and got into side position, controlling Carmouche’s head and arms. Rousey hammered Carmouche with punch after punch until Carmouche’s forehead turned beat red.
When the moment was right, Rousey swung her hips around and got a hold of Carmouche’s arm. Carmouche fought it better than anyone else has, but with 11 seconds left Rousey torqued the limb and Carmouche was forced to tap. You could see the ligaments in her arm contorting as Rousey pulled on it.
“I knew she was tough and I was expecting to go five rounds,” Rousey said. “Ten seconds difference and it could have gone a different way and we would have been in round two. Much respect to her.”
Rousey won and stayed undefeated at 7-0 with every victory coming inside of one round via armbar. Carmouche looked tough as nails. The first women’s fight in UFC history was a classic. A rematch would be easily marketable.
Nothing is ever perfect, not in this sport and not in real life. But this is exactly what the UFC could have hoped for. This proved that women’s MMA has legs. There’s serious growth potential and the risk the UFC took by putting two women in the main event of a pay per view was well rewarded.
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