Filipino boxers

History made, hype proven for Ronda Rousey

Carlos Cinco

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Ronda Rousey made history by winning the first women's UFC match against Liz Carmouche.

Photo from UFC.com

MANILA, Philippines – History made. Hype proven.

Ronda Rousey not just successsfully defended her bantamweight crown, but also became the first the first woman to win the first women’s UFC bout Sunday, February 24, in Anaheim, California.

Rousey (7-0, 7 submissions) continued her streak of stopping opponents by armbar, taking former US Marine Liz Carmouche out of the fight in just the first round to cement her reputation as the “arm collector.”

Despite the loss, Carmouche said that she wasn’t afraid of Rousey or even fazed by the latter’s superstardom, putting up a valiant effort and at one point, even taking Rousey’s back and sinking in a deep, standing rear naked choke.

It was the worst position Rousey had ever been in as a professional mixed martial artist. All Carmouche had to do was lock her legs and tighten that grip and she would upset the monumental favorite.

 

The inevitable happened

But Rousey, extremely skilled in Judo, was able to shake off her opponent and soon found her way to the dominant position, working the half-guard.

Soon after, the inevitable happened. 

Rousey transitioned into a spider web and got a hold of Carmouche’s arm. She began to crank and yank away at the poor limb. 

Carmouche defended it well at first, locking her arm into position showing great strength and resistance but everyone in the crowd knew it was just a matter of time.

This was, after all, Rousey’s forte.

Rousey rolled Carmouche back into perfect position to hyper-extend the arm. The UFC champion gained wrist control and flattened the joint where the forearm and the elbow meet. Carmouche had no choice but to tap out, becoming Rousey’s seventh victim.

It was a phenomenal victory for Rousey, who had to overcome a scary first minute after giving up her back but it was definitely the greatest moment so far in her young career.

 

Photo from UFC.com

Who’s next for Rousey?

Rousey is now 1-0 in the UFC. The only challenge now would be for Dana White to find another opponent for Rousey. 

Carmouche was a start, but in order to maintain intereset, White has to increase his roster of women fighters.

On the horizon is Cris “Cyborg” Santos, who was suspended for one year after failing a steroid test.

Before her suspension though, Santos picked up her 11th straight victory with a 16-second knockout win over Yamanaka.

A Rousey versus Santos women’s contest will be another huge event for the UFC.

Previously, Dana White had been adamantly opposed to staging women’s fights, even as Rousey continued to rise in popularity.

 

White proven wrong

When asked by TMZ if women would ever compete in the UFC, White had a very short, one-word reply: “Never.”

That all changed when White met Rousey.

“I’ve been in the fight business since I was 19 years old,” said White in an exclusive interview with Bleacher Report. “And I know real fighters when I see them. She’s a real fighter. She looked right through me with these eyes, like we’d never [expletive] met and she didn’t give a [expletive] if we’d ever meet. I loved it. Loved it.”

Rousey was never going to let anything or anyone stop her from reaching the top.

“I was always asked about Dana saying women would never be in the UFC and I just said ‘Look, he has no choice about it. I’m going to make him love me. There’s nothing he can do’.”

“I was going to be so good and capture so much attention it’s going to be impossible for him to ignore me,” said Rousey. – Rappler.com

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