Women fighting inside the Octagon is not the only hurdle the UFC is jumping over next Saturday night. Carmouche is the first openly gay fighter to ever compete in the UFC. It is a huge step for the UFC, and more importantly, for the rest of the sports world.
"Rowdy" Ronda Rousey is an absolute beast, if you don't believe me just check out her highlights http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf-eNVAeC0U. She became the first American woman to take home a medal in Judo when she won a bronze in the 2008 Summer Olympics. She's a perfect 6-0 in her MMA career and none of her opponent's made it past Round 1. She isn't just the best submission artist among women, but arguably the best submission artist in the world, including men. Only one fighter made it longer than a minute against Rousey.
In 2011, UFC President Dana White said, "Women would never fight in the UFC."
Rousey quickly changed the bosses mind. Not only are women making their debut next Saturday night at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA, but Rousey vs. Carmouche is the evening's main event.
The challenger, Carmouche, is 8-2 in her MMA career and has won two-fights in a row. She takes on her toughest opponent next Saturday night in Ronda Rousey.
This is a huge night for the organization. The UFC has made huge strides over the last few years and this is just another step in the right direction for The Ultimate Fighting Championship. The organization inked a 7-year $700 million deal with FOX in 2011 and women fighting in the UFC will continue to get more fans interested in the fastest growing sport in the world.
If you would like to learn more about the two women fighting next Saturday night just check out the UFC's "Primetime Special" on Rousey/Carmouche.
And, don't forget to follow me on twitter @zpoff13 for more information on the UFC and mixed-martial-arts.
UFC Primetime: Episode 1:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSRjHK4S9qs
UFC Primetime: Episode 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAb5HgtYeM0
This is how the rest of the fight card lines up next Saturday night:
UFC 157 - Honda Center (Anaheim, CA)
MAIN CARD ON PAY-PER-VIEW (7 PM/PT)
Ronda Rousey (6-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Liz Carmouche (8-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Dan Henderson (29-8 MMA, 6-2 UFC) vs. Lyoto Machida (18-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC)
Urijah Faber (28-6 MMA, 2-2 UFC) vs. Ivan Menjivar (25-9 MMA, 4-2 UFC)
Josh Koscheck (17-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) vs. Robbie Lawler (19-9 MMA, 4-3 UFC)
Court McGee (14-3, 3-2 UFC) vs. Josh Neer (33-12-1 MMA, 6-8 UFC)
PRELIMINARY CARD ON FX (5 PM/PT)
Brendan Schaub (8-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) vs. Lavar Johnson (17-6 MMA, 2-1 UFC)
Michael Chiesa (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) vs. Anton Kuivanen (17-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
Sam Stout (18-8-1 MMA, 8-7 UFC) vs. Caros Fodor (7-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Dennis Bermudez (9-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) vs. Matt Grice (15-4 MMA, 2-4 UFC)
PRELIMINARY CARD ON FACEBOOK (3:30 PM/PT)
Kenny Robertson (11-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) vs. Brock Jardine (9-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Neil Magny (7-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) vs. Jon Manley (7-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Nah-Shon Burrell (8-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) vs. Yuri Villefort (6-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
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