November 12, 2015

  • Brett OkamotoESPN Staff Writer

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    • MMA columnist for ESPN.com
    • Annotator for "MMA Live"
    • Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun

People remember Liz Carmouche is retired.

It's been two years since Carmouche fought Ronda Rousey in the first female championship fight in UFC history and, apparently, at that place are some who think she'south done literally nothing since.

Carmouche has been a professional person fighter since 2010 and has appeared in xv fights. She's still active and has fought four times since the Rousey loss. Overwhelmingly, though, conversations near her career tend to revolve around that ane fight, which lasted less than five minutes.

"People come up to me and say, 'Your fight was amazing,'" Carmouche says. "I'm like, 'I'm going to assume I know which fight you lot're talking about. Ronda Rousey?'

"I've had people come and ask me if I'm retired and why I'yard not fighting anymore. I'thousand like, 'That Rousey fight wasn't fifty-fifty one of my best performances, simply that's the only one y'all know?' At the same time, the fact that fight was important enough to popular into their mind at all is amazing to me."

Challenging Rousey (12-0) in a cage -- the world-famous Hollywood star, Olympic medalist, UFC champion -- has to exist considered one of the unique experiences right now in professional person sports.

Every challenger's experience is different, of course, but it generally seems to consist of an intense crash course in judo amongst a firestorm of media requests, all of which culminates in a fight that lasts several minutes (if they're lucky) -- which strangers then employ to place them for all time. Sprinkled in are abiding less-than-subtle reminders of their inevitable failure.

Simply they practice get a chance to make history.

While the world discusses what Holly Holm, the latest Rousey challenger, will walk into at UFC 193 this weekend in Melbourne, Australia, only 14 women (including Rousey's professional and amateur career) tin say they really know.

ESPN spoke to several of them in society to go fifty-fifty a faint idea of what that feel is like and how it has (or has non) changed over time.

Autumn King (Nov. 12, 2010: Tuff-N-Uff Future Stars, lost via armbar :57 R1): The beginning time I heard about her, a promotion in California offered me a fight but wouldn't tell me the girl's name. They just said she had no fights. I thought that was weird considering I already had four fights merely I said, "OK, whatever." When they finally told me her name, I cyberstalked her like I practice all my opponents and was like, "Hey, this girl's got a Wikipedia folio! Niggling to no experience my donkey, she'southward an Olympian!" I called the promotion and said I was willing to take the fight just not on short discover. So, that didn't pan out, but I wanted to fight her. When she showed upwards to our fight, I had never seen a promotion treat anybody the way they treated her. For instance, the day of the weigh-in, we just went immediately to the front of the line. Usually y'all wait around. I was like, "Hmm, this is unlike."

Charmaine Tweet (June 17, 2011: HKFC, lost via armbar :49 R1): We were signed to fight, but Gina Carano had not gotten medically cleared for a fight in Strikeforce, and Ronda had been offered a gamble to supersede her. Ronda was calling me and my husband, who is my manager, the week prior to our fight, and let me tell yous, Ronda doesn't like to be told no. I said, "I'thousand not letting y'all out of the contract. I don't care if Strikeforce is knocking." So, we really had a lot of drama leading up to our fight. I said, "Listen, she'southward a fast-rising star. What happens if I vanquish her? Who gets the Strikeforce contract then?" She put a mail service on Facebook that people should call my manager and tell him what they think of him. I don't think she actually gave away my number though, which was good.

Sarah Kaufman (Aug. 18, 2012: Strikeforce, lost via armbar :54 R1): It was already the Ronda show when I fought her. The way her fight against Miesha Tate went, I think (UFC president) Dana White was already looking over at her, which meant information technology had to exist the Ronda show. During the promotions for that fight, I was told multiple times, "This is the Ronda show; you're merely the person on the other side." It was a piffling rough. For the Showtime promo, they put u.s.a. in these disgustingly weird Playtex suits. The idea was, OK, Ronda is this badass chick in all blackness and I'one thousand this other girl in white. So, I had to put on this ridiculous-looking adapt from some sex shop that was three sizes too small. From that point it was like, "Ronda is so beautiful and then at that place's you." Yous know what's happening.

Cat Zingano (Feb. 28, 2015: UFC 184, lost via armbar :14 R1): The media attending was tough a couple weeks out from the fight. I tend to be a little more volatile during that time and at that place were points where it said, "I just want to focus on improving as an athlete." I'm hitting pads and I run across a little GoPro camera inching towards me out of the corner of my eye. People are asking me to redo something so they can film it. Information technology was a little distracting, simply I tried to think of it every bit a good thing.

King: She was smart. She wouldn't look at me at all. She was really new to MMA, and I don't call back she was confident with punching at all -- but yous could tell she was confident about her judo. I call up that's why she was weary of looking at me. She wanted to be in her own mental affair. In her mind, she needed to be focused on her judo, and if you look at someone in the centre and know they're almost to punch you in the face, at that place's a big difference betwixt that and being in a judo lucifer, where you know they can't hitting you.

Zingano: When I've fought other girls, I look into their eyes, their breathing and the way they motility, and a lot of times I become a sense they're pushing themselves to be alpha. What I got from Ronda was an actual warrior style, similar you're exposing your heart and putting yourself into a position of vulnerability -- and at the same time, you have complete confidence. I thought it was really interesting, she was the first person that I felt was on the same level as me when it came to that. At that place was nothing false in it.

Kaufman: I recall if at that place was any pressure level on me at that time, it was to not let her armbar me because she had done information technology to all these people that'south ridiculous and I'm too good for that. You know what she's doing, so don't let her practice it. That kind of matter. And that way of thinking almost lets it happen. I had a game plan of how to win, but that was in my head and so much I but wanted to counter what she was doing and if you give up those positions, you're going to lose.

Carmouche (February. 23, 2013: UFC 157. lost via armbar 4:49 R1): Of course, in that location was training for armbars and counters to the judo throws. I'm one of her only opponents that she didn't accept down. When it came to me going downwardly, it was her shaking me off from her back. And so, that's something I did correctly. When I recall about the choke I had on her, it's certainly in my mind, but if it were meant to be information technology would accept happened.

Zingano: The goal at hand is to make history. Personally, I decided to become out and try something that hadn't been washed earlier. If anyone knew how to beat Ronda, they would have done it past now. People have tried dissimilar approaches. My approach was, "OK, no one has ever gone at her, guns blazing, before." Evidently, information technology didn't piece of work out. That arroyo can be checked off the list, I gauge.

Sara McMann (Feb. 22, 2014: UFC 170, lost via TKO i:06 R1): When I was out at that place, directly earlier the fight, I've never had such a sense of, "this is where I'm supposed to be." There was a peacefulness of like, being in the right place at the right time in my life. And then, I'1000 happy nigh it. I'thousand plainly non happy about the consequence, but it's never besides belatedly to get a fresh starting time on that.

Kaufman: She just starts pure 100. She'southward mentally just on, terrified and fighting for her life when the bell starts. I wasn't prepared for that -- even though, I was 100 percentage prepared for that, if that makes sense? It's almost inexplicable. You only don't remember she can outset that fast. I mean, y'all know she starts fast, but you're in in that location maxim, "I'one thousand ready. My eyes are open. I'one thousand warmed up." Merely even and then, information technology'south like, "Oh, there she goes."

Carmouche: The first thing I recall most is how lilliputian amount of fourth dimension I had left on the clock. I had no idea at that place was 10 seconds left in the circular. Had I known, I probably would have let my arm snap. Realistically, it was the best decision though. I saw video of it and it was hyperextended.

King: To me, her reactionary times felt as quick equally the guys at our pro practice. She was so fast. I trained at Squad Quest and I probably only felt an armbar go that fast one time earlier.

Tweet: I accept to requite her credit in the fight, but not all the credit. I got upward from her first takedown. It didn't feel that strong to me. The 2d judo throw that put me down, though, it was kind of, "Oh. Well, here we are." And then I did something very stupid that all rookies do. When she started punching me, I put my arm straight up to block her, which was basically, "here, allow me gift wrap this for you."

McMann: What impresses me is how fast she finishes people. She'due south going for every chance and she'due south setting a step that is really difficult for people to maintain. She knows she doesn't take to set it for 25 minutes considering she's finishing people.

Male monarch: I think virtually what would have happened even if I had made it out of the first circular. I don't think I would accept vanquish her, but I think I would have knocked her effectually in the standup a picayune. I would have been infamous simply for doing that. Some people, that's all they see is that I fought Ronda Rousey but I could see how it could define people more so, now. I got lucky. I fought the Ronda that didn't know how to dial, and so that'south who she'll always be in my head. For the girls now, she's become and so big, it defines their careers.

Tweet: I have idea almost would have happened if I had won and honestly, as much as I detest to say it, that loss was what needed to happen. She needed to continue going down her path for our sport to become what it has become. If I had beaten her, who knows if women would take been in the UFC today. It's probably a practiced thing I lost to her.

Carmouche: Sometimes I exercise experience like I'm just another one of her opponents, but I've heard and so many stories and met so many people that I wouldn't take otherwise. I've had people tell me our fight was in their textbook -- that'south actually when it puts things in perspective.

Zingano: Everywhere I become, people recognize me in seconds and ask, "When are you fighting Ronda again?" It would exist worth information technology to fight her once more simply to cease that. It becomes your definition. When you await dorsum on my history every bit an athlete and equally a human, there are all these things I've achieved that I would say define me so much more than xiv seconds, but who am I to say annihilation? Until I fix that, that's my reality, you know? What can I practice about it?

Kaufman: A lot of people will come and say, "Hey, cool yous fought Ronda" and I'thou like, "Yeah just I didn't practice well." That's a hard thing considering people see information technology as, well, the fact y'all even stepped in the cage with her is cool, which takes away from what I do in the sport. People are like, "don't feel bad, it'south Ronda." Well, I recall I tin be the all-time in the world, and so that's kind of insulting. It'south about like a pat on the back, you joined a kid's softball team and lost, but at least you swung the bat! I don't know if women would be in the UFC right now though, honestly, if I had beaten Ronda. And that's kind of a knock on myself merely I don't think we'd be where we are. So, I look at is I took a cede for the better good of women'south mixed martial arts.