Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche will make history Saturday night when they meet in the main event of UFC 157. The event not only marks the first time two women have entered the octagon in order to engage in combat, but it also serves as the first time two women have headlined a bill for the world’s largest mixed martial arts promotion.
There’s a lot riding on this fight, as Rousey is being hyped as a major promotional star (thanks to stunning looks and a bone breaking armbar) and her success inside the cage could dictate the future of women’s MMA inside the UFC’s famed octagon.
If Carmouche shows up and spoils the party, defeating Rousey, it will not only be one of the greatest upsets we’ve seen in years, but it will simultaneously be a business deal imploding. Let’s not be naive, Carmouche has been brought in to lose this fight and increase Rousey‘s stock.
Whether Rousey can keep this train on the tracks—and the hopes of countless other female fighters alive—remains to be seen. She’s got a durable challenge in front of her, but that challenge is certainly one not immune to defeat.
If WMMA is going to stick around and pull in the viewers Dana White wants, Rousey has to exit the cage with that belt still around her waist on Saturday. It may not be easy, but it’s very possible.