The first women’s fight in UFC history will take place tonight as former Strikeforce champion “Rowdy” Rondo Rousey battles Liz “Girl-Rilla” Carmouche for the bantam weight title. Start time for UFC 157 is set for 10:00pm ET at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California; the main event can be seen live on Pay-Per-View. UFC 157 Fight Predictions and Odds have Rousey listed as a prohibitive -1100 moneyline favorite ($1100 wins $100). Also on tonight’s main card is a battle between former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida and former PRIDE middle and former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Dan Henderson. Machida is drawing -220 odds ($220 wins $100) to end Henderson’s four fight winning streak.
Ronda Rousey, a 4th degree Black Belt in Judo and an Olympic Bronze medalist in Judo (2008), has parlayed her amateur skills into a professional fighting career with outstanding success. Rousey is 6-0 in six fights with six first round arm-bar submissions and her last two fights came in earning and defending the Strikeforce women’s bantam weight belt.
In fact, so adept is Rousey at the arm bar that only one of her nine opponents (three amateur fights) made it past the first minute of the first round.
Obviously, Carmouche, who owns an 8-2 record, knows what is coming, but the question is whether or not she can stop it. Her recent history (as well as Rousey’s) would indicate no.
The Louisiana native is coming off back to back wins, as she took out Ashleigh Curry by first round TKO and Kaitlin Young by second round submission; however, Carmouche dropped her last two Strikeforce fights. Sarah Kaufman, who Rousey arm barred at 54 seconds into the first round last August, earned a unanimous decision win over Carmouche. That defeat was preceded by Carmouche’s triangle submission loss to Marloes Coenen.
Free Pick(s): Parlay suggestions – Rousey (-1100), McGee (-300), Faber (-370). Going Big – Rousey, McGee, Faber, Koscheck, Henderson. Live Dogs: Henderson (+170), Johnson (+100), Sam Stout (+125).
UFC 157 Odds:
Ronda Rousey -1100 vs Liz Carmouche +600
Lyoto Machida -220 vs Dan Henderson +170
Urijah Faber -370 vs Ivan Menjivar +280
Josh Koscheck -500 vs Robbie Lawler +350
Court McGee -300 vs Josh Neer +220
Brendan Schaub -140 vs Lavar Johnson +100
Michael Chiesa -250 vs Anton Kuivanen +190
Dennis Bermudez -370 vs Matt Grice +280
Caros Fodor -155 vs Sam Stout +125
Brock Jardine -150 vs Kenny Robertson +120
Neil Magny -150 vs Jon Manley +120
Nah-Shon Burrell -115 vs Yuri Villefort -115