Ronda Rousey celebrates after her win over Liz Carmouche at UFC 157 (Credits: Bleacher Report)
On February 23rd, 2013, Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche became the first women pair ever to set foot inside the UFC octagon and the rest is history
Dana White is widely acclaimed as the pioneer of modern-day mixed martial arts. He helped institutionalize the sport and reform its narrative from human cock fighting to mainstream entertainment.
However, White has made some controversial and bold claims in the past, and he has been proved wrong on several occasions. But his biggest avow came when he confidently said that the day will never come when a woman steps into the UFC octagon.
While the UFC was busy penetrating the mainstream market, a fresh wave of women’s MMA talent was budding in smaller promotions and interestingly- people tuned in to watch them fight. Dana being the smart businessman he is swallowed his bold claims and embarked on a journey to script a new chapter in the history of women’s fighting.
A preeminent figure in this fresh wave of talent was Olympic judo bronze medalist, Ronda Rousey. Rousey had captivated MMA fans with her towering personality, her silver tongue mic skills and dominant display inside the cage. Rousey was 6-0 before she joined UFC and all her victories astonishingly came inside the first round.
Company history was made when Ronda Rousey met Liz Carmouche inside the UFC octagon on February 23rd, 2013 for the bantamweight championship of the world.
Ronda Rousey walked into the octagon with her patented death stare face and confident stride, reminding everyone once and for all, that she belonged here. Carmouche was 8-2 walking into this bout.
Ronda showcased another domineering performance and finished Carmouche inside the first round. Rousey went on to become a global star in an impressive run inside the company and became a household name.
While Ronda Rousey spearheaded an entire generation of women, it certainly took time to develop stars in the women’s circuit. She ensured that women tuned in to watch MMA and that garnered a lot of interest. However, her counterparts lacked the star appeal she had, up until now.
Women’s MMA is on an all-time high and flourishing by the day. Some of the best MMA moments in recent times were delivered by them. From Weili Zhang becoming the first Asian UFC champion to the dominant run of Amanda Nunes, from Valentina Schevchenko’s evisceration of her opponents to the countless wars Joanna Jedrzejczyk has delivered, women’s MMA has come a long way.
The upset of Amanda Nunes by Julianna Pena had the entire world talking. In recent times stars have emerged outside the UFC in fighters like Kayla Harrison and combat stars from different disciplines, as Claressa Shields has transitioned into MMA.
These women have made countless sacrifices to entertain us and the future looks increasingly bright for them.
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