Danica Patrick made NASCAR history by becoming the first woman to ever win the pole position for the Daytona 500, but she is not the only female making a landmark this weekend, as Ronda Rousey will take part in the first ever UFC event to feature a female fight on Saturday night.
Both women have proven to be good role models for girls around the world and they each will be the focus at their events on Saturday and Sunday.
Rousey will be first to the plate, as she takes on Liz Carmouche, a former US Marine who did multiple tours of duty in Iraq. Rousey has gotten the bulk of the attention as the bantamweight champion after USC took in Strikeforce and she will have a chance to defend that title in Anaheim.
The fight is being broadcast on pay-per-view and is expected to be a big draw for the UFC, which is primarily a sport known for attracting males. Rousey provides a new opportunity for the sport to grow and it also can give other females in all types of sports motivation as they move forward.
"People can say whatever they want about her, people can say she shouldn't be headlining or whatever. I don't give a s--- if you're Royce Gracie, if you're Dan Henderson or [Lyoto] Machida, Tito [Ortiz], Chuck [Liddell], go through the laundry list of people who have been stars in this company, nobody in the history of this company will have more new media following them than Ronda Rousey will," White said last month to Sports Illustrated.
Rouse has had quite the ride over the past year, winning her title as well as appearing on many magazines and on television. She is known for her signature armbar move, which she has used to win all over her fights in about 90 seconds. Carmouche is expected to provide more of a fight than her other opponents, but Rousey will not be intimidated.
Rousey is 6-0 in her career, while Carmouche is 8-2. Patrick also known what it's like to be the center of attention in a male-dominated sport, something she has been dealing with since driving IndyCar years ago.
Patrick made headlines by winning the Daytona Pole last week and she continued to be the focus on Saturday as she had to pull out early of her Nationwide race due to engine trouble. She has been the focus of media attention due to her relationship with fellow driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr.,but more than that, she has been a female role model.
"Carl brought her over [to Patrick's motor coach] to meet me this week," Patrick said to ESPN.com Friday. "I've known since last year that she's a huge fan of mine. Carl said he wanted her to meet me in person because she sees me as some mythical person who doesn't exist."
Patrick had the best finish of her career last season on the Nationwide circuit, coming in 10th place in the standings. She now is the first woman to race full-time on the Sprint Cup circuit and along with Rousey, Patrick is giving women in sports a good name to follow.
