10 MMA Fights That Changed The Business

6. UFC 157: Rousey def. Carmouche

Ronda Rousey isn€™t just one of the biggest female stars in the sport right now. She€™s one of the biggest stars in sports, period. After earning a Bronze medal in Judo at the 2008 Olympics, Rousey made a virtually effortless jump into MMA, reeling off a series of victories by armbar. Her streak continued in Strikeforce where the Olympian defeated rival Meisha Tate to take the Women€™s Bantamweight Title.

Once Strikeforce was formally absorbed by the UFC, Rousey became the first woman to be signed to a UFC contract. Her Strikeforce Bantamweight gold was traded out for the UFC Women€™s Bantamweight title, making Rousey not only the first female to sign with UFC, but also the first female champion in the UFC. To cap off all of the firsts, UFC 157 became the first pay-per-view event by the company to be headlined by a Women€™s match.

Unfortunately for Carmouche, she would fall victim to the same result as every other Rousey opponent: First round armbar. While Rousey€™s legacy grew as an individual, both women played a pivotal role in breaking barriers and opening up new opportunities for women in MMA. The biggest problem so far has been finding a viable contender to Rousey in both talent and marketability. Dana White has already tried to remedy the situation by implementing a Women€™s Ultimate Fighter, which was won by Julianna Pena late last year.