Years ago, the idea of a woman fighting in the UFC was an impossible one in the eyes of president Dana White, but after showing off her skills over the past few years, Ronda Rousey is set to become the first woman to compete in the sport at UFC 157 at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday.
Rousey signed a deal with UFC late last year and her first fight will go down on Saturday night in a pay-per-view event against Liz Carmouche as the main fight. White once said he would "never" have female fighters in the UFC, but that was before he ever heard of Ronda Rousey.
Rousey was the fist American woman to win an Olympic medal in judo when she took home the bronze in 2008 and since she has started her career she has been a dominant force, winning all six of her MMA fights, all lasting an average of 77 seconds, according to SI.com.
Rousey uses a signature armbar move to finish off her fights, including her first four that finished in under a minute of competition. Carmouche is a former Marine who will not be afraid to take on Rousey, but after the way she has dispatched opponents in the past, Carmouche will need to be on the defensive.
"She's mean and she's nasty and she wants to finish people," White said to Yahoo Sports. "She's a Diaz brother trapped inside of a pretty woman's body. She's a real fighter."
Rousey first signed with UFC in Novemeber after turning professional in 2011, after which she took the Strikeforce bantamweight title after defeating Miesha Tate with her signature arm bar move. Her profile has risen over the past two years, as she has appeared in ESPN the Magazine and on late night television shows. She also was featured in a segment on "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel".
Rousey signed in November with UFC and originally turned pro in March of 2011 after arm-barring Miesha Tate to take home the Strikeforce bantamweight title. Rousey has risen in name recognition and has appeared on a number of late night television shows as well as on the cover of ESPN the Magazine. She will also be featured on "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" on Tuesday.
"She's a real fighter and she's very talented," the UFC president said of the 25-year-old Californian while speaking in an interview with Jim Rome. "She has the credentials, the pedigree, I mean everything. I think she has that 'it' factor. I think she's going to be a big superstar. This girl is nasty."
Rousey has appeared in a number of fight on Showtime, but this is her biggest event of her MMA career. She has previously won a gold medal at the Pan American Games and also was the youngest judo competitor at the Athens Olympics in 2004.
According to ESPN.com, Rousey will lead a class of about eight women that will move from Strikeforce to the UFC next year. Rousey is ranked as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter by MMARising.com and is 6-0 in her MMA career.
