7 Fights That Defined Mixed Martial Arts

Now making waves in WWE, it’s easy to disregard Ronda Rousey’s enormous significance to the growth of women’s MMA. After all, UFC now boasts four women’s divisions, with dominant champions such as Amanda Nunes and Cris Cyborg. Rousey came to the sport having been a pioneer in judo: her bronze at Beijing 2008 was the first time an American had ever medaled in the sport at the Olympics.

In the years that followed her historic win, Rousey became disillusioned with judo before deciding to transfer her skills to MMA. She amassed a 3-0 amateur and 2-0 pro record and was signed with Strikeforce bringing her marketable looks and incredible skills to a national audience. Rousey’s string of first-round armbars set her apart from her competition as she defeated every woman in her path to become Strikeforce Women’s Batamweight Champion.

In this time, the then-parent company of the UFC purchased Strikeforce and signed many of the top talents in the promotion but Rousey stayed put. Her streak had not gone unnoticed by Dana White however, who in November 2012 signed her to the UFC making her the inaugural UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion.

At UFC 157 Ronda Rousey defended her belt against Liz Carmouche, in what was not only the first women’s UFC fight, but also the first time women had main evented a MMA pay per view card and the first time an LGBT fighter had fought in the UFC.

On the night, Rousey faced some unexpected adversity as Carmouche seized an opportunity to take Rousey’s back and almost finish the contest with a rear naked choke. Rousey persevered however, managing to pry one of her opponents legs off of her back before re-establishing control of the fight on the ground and locking in another fight ending first-round armbar.