Ronda Rousey did more than just successfully defend the bantamweight title on Saturday night—she saved UFC 157.
Perhaps it was a predictable win for the defending champ, as she forced opponent Liz Carmouche into submission via her signature armbar.
Rousey was caught in an early submission but was able to get out of it and eventually force Carmouche to tap out at 4:49 in the first round, as she retained her title.
Despite the early finish, the bantamweight fight between Rousey and Carmouche essentially saved UFC 157 from being a total disaster after Lyoto Machida and Dan Henderson submitted a less than desirable fight.
Machida and Henderson split the main card with the women but put fans through a sleeper of a fight, as Machida won in a split decision, 28-29, 29-28, 29-28.
It was a fight that Henderson should have won, which could have brought him a step closer to a fight with Jon Jones, but instead fans saw Machida practically avoid Henderson and squeak out a split-decision victory.
Even UFC president Dana White admitted that Rousey and Carmouche saved the event, according to Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports:
“Imagine how this place would have been had [Machida-Henderson] been the main event. Everyone would have left here [angry] and it would have ruined the show.”
That’s when the women saved the event.
Rousey got the crowd on its feet as she entered the cage, with fans knowing she was the favorite to repeat as champion. Fans saw plenty of action, from Carmouche practically winning the fight in the early going to Rousey clinching victory with her signature finishing move.
It was certainly a momentous event for women’s fighting, as two females saved UFC 157 from a complete failure.
Saturday night’s fight was not only a step in the right direction for women’s fighting, but a historical point for the UFC.
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