UFC 157: Rousey vs. Carmouche

Ronda Rousey (6-0) vs. Liz Carmouche (7-2)

Bantamweights Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche will step into the Octagon Saturday for the first-ever women’s UFC fight.

Rousey was the reigning Strikeforce bantamweight champion before the move to UFC, winning all six of her career bouts, four of which were in Strikeforce. Carmouche lost two in a row at one point, including for the Strikeforce bantamweight title, but has bounced back since then with two consecutive wins. Rousey, as expected, is a heavy favorite, as the consensus top female fighter in the world. But Carmouche has the potential to be dangerous and could surprise people with her power and submission skills. With the odds favoring Rousey to such an extreme degree, play on CARMOUCHE and take the money in hopes of a major upset.

The current UFC bantamweight champion, Rousey is also an Olympic medalist for judo, earning the bronze at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. She has never lost and has won all six of her career bouts via armbar submission. None of those fights have escaped the first round. At 5-foot-7, she also has a one-inch height advantage over Carmouche. Her takedowns and experience make her the best, and there is no female fighter as explosive as she can be.

Carmouche struggled against some of the top fighters in Strikeforce, losing via submission to Marloes Coenen and via decision to Sarah Kaufman. She showed her resilience, however, with a TKO of Ashleigh Curry and submission against Kaitlin Young. Rousey has the experience, but Carmouche is as strong as they come, even if she has been less consistent than Rousey. She has to hope her ground-and-pound style frustrates Rousey, giving her the chance for what would be a major upset.