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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
After scoring a takedown on Liz Carmouche early in Saturday's UFC 157 main event, Ronda Rousey found herself in quite the precarious position. As she attempted to hold Carmouche down with a headlock from side control, Carmouche managed to sneak out just enough to transition to her back in a scramble.
Rousey tried to regain control, but Carmouche got control on Rousey's back and tried to lock on a rear naked choke. Rousey got her chin down enough to avoid the choke, but she got her neck and face wrenched viciously as Carmouche cranked the hold across her face. It was so tight it moved Rousey's mouthguard aside and left a large impression of her teeth on Carmouche's arm.
The Women's Bantamweight Champ stayed composed in that spot, though, and pulled at Carmouche's left leg, which shifted her body just enough to allow Rousey to buck her off her back and get out of the spot.
Following the event, Rousey said that the hold itself didn't have her worried in that moment, as she had the choke itself defended. Instead, she was more concerned with a potentially embarrassing wardrobe malfunction taking place in that moment. [story continued below]
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[continued from above] "On the ground I feel so comfortable in every position, so I never feel in danger and I take a lot of risks," Rousey said during the Fuel TV post-fight show. "I felt fine with her on my back. I was more concerned with my sports bra staying on while she was choking me because I felt safe and in control. She squeezed across my face and my mouth, and she almost forced my mouth guard out. I didn't try to bite her. She put her hand in my mouth. Sorry."
Penick's Analysis: That would not have been what the UFC wanted out of its first ever women's fight, but there's potential for it even for the men, as there have been close calls with shorts in past fights. It's just a possibility that can happen while grappling for women's fighters if they're relying on the sports bra. But that's not the story out of Saturday night, the story is Rousey fighting through that really dangerous moment and having the wherewithal to use her grappling defense intelligently. She knew the spot she was in, and she got herself out of it. That was an incredible display, plain and simple.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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