Liz Carmouche
13-7-0
About
Marine veteran and women's MMA pioneer who fought Ronda Rousey in the UFC's first-ever women's bout and has won world titles in two promotions.
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Liz Carmouche is one of the most significant figures in women's mixed martial arts history. Born in Lafayette, Louisiana and raised in Okinawa, she spent five years in the Marine Corps as an aviation electrician before turning professional in 2010. Her career took a historic turn in 2013 when she challenged Ronda Rousey for the UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship at UFC 157, making history as one half of the first-ever women's bout in UFC competition. Though she lost that fight via armbar in the opening round, Carmouche continued to build her resume and became the first openly lesbian fighter in the UFC, earning praise from Dana White for her courage.
Carmouche challenged for a second UFC title in August 2019, facing dominant flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko in a bid to capture the Women's Flyweight Championship. Despite a gritty five-round effort, she fell short again via unanimous decision. Released by the UFC in December 2019, she signed with Bellator MMA and found her greatest success outside the Octagon. In 2022, at age 38, she defeated previously undefeated champion Juliana Velasquez to win the Bellator Women's Flyweight World Championship, then successfully defended the title three times before transitioning to the Professional Fighters League in 2024.
As a fighter, Carmouche is a technical grappler and submission specialist with remarkable durability and fight IQ. She has the ability to grind opponents in longer bouts, hunt finishes via armbar and leg kicks, and maintain championship-level performance well into her 40s. In 2025, she proved she still had elite-level skills by winning the PFL Women's Flyweight Tournament and claiming her second world title. Beyond her wins and accolades, Carmouche is revered as a trailblazer who is intentionally using the latter stages of her career to create opportunities for the next generation of female fighters, advocating for underutilized divisions like women's bantamweight and emphasizing the importance of fighters being compensated fairly by promotions.
Why fans love Carmouche
Carmouche is celebrated as a true pioneer and trailblazer in women's MMA, praised for her courage in coming out as the first openly lesbian UFC fighter. Fans admire her durability, technical grappling, and refusal to fade despite being in her 40s. She's known for her grace under pressure, sportsmanship, and her stated goal of opening doors for the next generation of female fighters rather than chasing fame.
