RONDA ROUSEY TO DEFEND BANTAMWEIGHT BELT AGAINST LIZ CARMOUCHE IN UFC 157 HEADLINER

Ronda Rousey will put her newly christened UFC bantamweight title on the line against Liz Carmouche at UFC 157, promotion president Dana White announced Thursday. It will be the first women’s bout in the history of the Las Vegas-based organization.

At Thursday’s UFC on Fox 5 news conference, White officially introduced Rousey as the promotion’s inaugural women’s bantamweight champion. After he presented her with the belt, White revealed that Rousey would defend her crown against Carmouche in the UFC 157 headliner.

UFC 157 takes place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The organization’s confirmation of the contest comes after it was mistakenly announced that Rousey would face Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos at the Feb. 23 event. Santos quickly shot down the booking, however, stating that while her team had been negotiating with the UFC, she would be unable to make the cut down to 135 pounds in time for a February meeting with Rousey.

Nevertheless, “Cyborg” did reveal that if given more time to make her weight cut that she might be able to trim down to bantamweight in order to challenge for Rousey’s title, contradicting previous reports asserting that such a cut could cause health complications for the former Strikeforce featherweight champion.

While White stated that the Rousey-Santos contest was his first choice for the UFC 157 headliner, he also revealed that Carmouche was the most willing alternative opponent for the champion.

“[Rousey-Santos] was obviously the fight we wanted to make. We wanted to do that at 135 pounds, and we worked hard to make that fight. I believe that this fight will happen. I truly believe the next one will be the Cyborg fight at 135 pounds,” said White. “Let me put it to you this way: [Carmouche is] who wanted to fight [Rousey]. People aren’t kicking the doors down of Zuffa to fight her.”

A 2008 Olympic judo bronze medalist, Rousey has made her name in MMA by hyperextending elbows seemingly at will, submitting each of her first six opponents in the first round with her patented straight armbar. The 25-year-old captured the Strikeforce bantamweight crown from Miesha Tate this past March and defended it successfully in August, stopping former titlist Sarah Kaufman in just 54 seconds.

“[The Santos fight] is going to happen eventually. I can’t make these girls fight me when I want them to fight me,” said Rousey. “I’ve got a lot of respect for Liz. She’s the only one that stepped up and said she wanted this fight right now. It speaks a lot to her. When the other girls actually want to come to the big show, they know where I’m at.

“I didn’t know about this until this morning. I don’t even know what to make of it. It means a lot, and I feel like we have a lot to prove at this event. No one is going to be disappointed. I think the women are here to stay and we’re gonna prove it.”

Carmouche, 28, began her pro career in 2010, rattling off five straight wins before earning a shot at then-Strikeforce bantamweight queen Marloes Coenen. Though “Girl-Rilla” gave the champion all she could handle, the experienced Coenen pulled out a fourth-round submission win to retain her belt. A decision loss to Sarah Kaufman would follow for Carmouche, who then rebounded with a pair of wins in her last two outings under the Invicta FC banner, finishing Ashleigh Curry and Kaitlin Young in April and July, respectively.

http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Ronda-Rousey-to-Defend-Bantamweight-Belt-Against-Liz-Carmouche-in-UFC-157-Headliner-48001

I'm making a bet now that this gets killed in the numbers on PPV.

Ronda Rousey is a gimmick. Liz is barely a top ten fighter. Joke of a title fight.

This OVER Hendo/Machida?

No one is going to pay for this crap.

UFC sucks at business. If anything, Rousey's first title fight shouldve been on FOX.

Wow Hendo and Machida in a epic fight, then out comes Liz Carmouche fresh off a win over a 7-7 fighter Headlining a ppv in the UFC in 2013. This is a farce.

If they just want to cash in on Rousey's recent "fame" why not have her headline a Fox card instead? Seems awfully risky putting her on PPV against Carmouche. But hey who am I to question the Zuffa braintrust

retrocausality wrote:Wow Hendo and Machida in a epic fight, then out comes Liz Carmouche fresh off a win over a 7-7 fighter Headlining a ppv in the UFC in 2013. This is a farce.

what's even worse is that they fucked us out of five rounds of Machida/Hendo.

I think this is a fucking disgrace. First they give Aldo and Cruz the belts for free and now Rousey? FUCK Ronda Rousey i'm sick of her and sick of watching her fight BUMS. Who is Liz Carmusch? Who is she headlining a PPV over two BEASTS.

Dapperdoo wrote:I think this is a fucking disgrace. First they give Aldo and Cruz the belts for free and now Rousey? FUCK Ronda Rousey i'm sick of her and sick of watching her fight BUMS. Who is Liz Carmusch? Who is she headlining a PPV over two BEASTS.

Aldo is best 145 fighter in the world. He deserved belt.

It's not like Aldo or Cruz showed their worth beforehand or anything...

wekka wrote:This OVER Hendo/Machida?

No one is going to pay for this crap.

UFC sucks at business. If anything, Rousey's first title fight shouldve been on FOX.

Nothing to add to this post.

I could understand it as like an opening bout. It's not worthy of it and won't even be competitive, but I could see it. Headlining the card though?

they just handed her the belt?
I hope Cyborg murders this hype job soon, I'm sick of her and Dana rimming her

In Cyborg we trust. Zuffa is a farce and it would be wonderful to see their pinup girl losing.

Lofgren wrote:In Cyborg we trust. Zuffa is a farce and it would be wonderful to see their pinup girl losing.

I got nothing against Ronda. She's about as legit an athlete as their is in the UFC. My issue is these guys declaring world champions before they ever fight in their organization. Olympic committee here we come!

Dagwood wrote:

Lofgren wrote:In Cyborg we trust. Zuffa is a farce and it would be wonderful to see their pinup girl losing.

I got nothing against Ronda. She's about as legit an athlete as their is in the UFC. My issue is these guys declaring world champions before they ever fight in their organization. Olympic committee here we come!

She´s very good but I don´t like how they promote her for her looks instead of her skills. If Ronda didn´t look good UFC wouldn´t want her.

Terrible headliner, zuffa are doing bad job w/ the main event selection (first G-Sot/Pearson over Lombard/Palhares and now Hendo/Machida not on the main event), but i have no problem for what they did w/ Aldo and Cruz (they were zuffa titleholders anyway and still are same w/ ronda) also the WBA did a similar thing w/ Khan before the Garcia fight. Cyborg got caught cheating, i don't trust on her.

They are promoting her as a heel, fake 'wrestling' style. They don't care what you think so long as you give them your money. So don't be a mark.

nhbnews wrote:They are promoting her as a heel, fake 'wrestling' style. They don't care what you think so long as you give them your money. So don't be a mark.

Exactly. The UFC is two steps away from full blown WWE.

It makes me so happy to see the Christy love is strong here. excellence>beauty.

marchegiano wrote:It makes me so happy to see the Christy love is strong here. excellence>beauty.

Hey Rock! Check out the new boxing 'only' forum... Johan & I thought you'd enjoy that.

Marcelo Tigre wrote:

Dapperdoo wrote:I think this is a fucking disgrace. First they give Aldo and Cruz the belts for free and now Rousey? FUCK Ronda Rousey i'm sick of her and sick of watching her fight BUMS. Who is Liz Carmusch? Who is she headlining a PPV over two BEASTS.

Aldo is best 145 fighter in the world. He deserved belt.

That's not the point. They HANDED him a UFC belt with 0 wins in the UFC. A championship can only be won. He deserved and rightly won the WEC title, he should've been given the first championship fight vs. Hominick instead of him defending the belt, but both fighting to win the belt.

Would be funny if this tiny chick ko'd the hyped female.

Dapperdoo wrote:

Marcelo Tigre wrote:

Dapperdoo wrote:I think this is a fucking disgrace. First they give Aldo and Cruz the belts for free and now Rousey? FUCK Ronda Rousey i'm sick of her and sick of watching her fight BUMS. Who is Liz Carmusch? Who is she headlining a PPV over two BEASTS.

Aldo is best 145 fighter in the world. He deserved belt.

That's not the point. They HANDED him a UFC belt with 0 wins in the UFC. A championship can only be won. He deserved and rightly won the WEC title, he should've been given the first championship fight vs. Hominick instead of him defending the belt, but both fighting to win the belt.

I agree with you Dapperdoo, you should always have to fight for the title. I don´t see promotions/organizations in any other sport giving out "world title" belts like that.

Lol WBC and WBA practically do it all the time.

wekka wrote:Lol WBC and WBA practically do it all the time.

They don´t even have to fight for the titles?

Lofgren wrote:

wekka wrote:Lol WBC and WBA practically do it all the time.

They don´t even have to fight for the titles?

They don't simply give away titles.

They do pull a lot of bullshit, but it isn't precisely the same sort. Basically they just create titles, have illogical ratings, strip guys and set up vacant title shots for 2 other guys, etc. Sometimes you see something absurd like a WBA super champ, a WBA regular champ, and a WBA interim champ all existing at the same time. You get the WBC sanctioning a vacant Jr. Middleweight title fight between Pacquiao and Margarito, at a 150 pound catchweight and in a division which Pacquiaa had never even fought (in fact he weighed in for the fight at 144, well below even the welterweight limit) and at which Margarito had only fought once, with that single fight being Margarito's first in 16 months, since being suspended for trying to load his gloves with plaster of paris against Mosely.

So in other words, no shortage of bullshit in boxing. I don't recall anyone being merely given a title without actually having a fight though.