Liz Carmouche faces a stiff test in Invicta FC Flyweight World Champion Vanessa Porto on Friday at Bellator 256. Carmouche is currently the 2nd ranked flyweight in the Bellator rankings.
She is a pioneer of women’s MMA having been the opponent for Ronda Rousey as they were the first women to compete in the UFC in February 2013. MPO had the chance to cover her July 2013 fight against Jessica Andrade in Seattle. She revealed that she had a broken ankle when she fought Andrade but managed to stop Andrade in the second round of that fight. Even though she was in Seattle for a fight she still recalls wanting to come back to visit the Dale Chihuly museum near the Seattle Center.
The MMA veteran, Carmouche (MMA 14-7, BMMA 1-0) debuted this past September for Bellator with a submission over DeAnna Bennett. Prior to that Carmouche spent the last 6 years with the UFC.
However, coming to a new promotion was like seeing old friends. She signed with Bellator while the organization was in Hawaii in December 2019. A lot of the staff had worked with her previously in Strikeforce.
Even though she is a seasoned veteran, she continues to evolve as a fighter, “I try and grow, the last thing I want is stagnation,” she said. While she was able to get one fight in on 2020, she hopes to get in a minimum of 3 fights in 2021. Carmouche foresees a title belt in her Bellator run. “I’m willing to take on fights so long as it gets me to where I want to go which is the 125 lb title.”
As for her opponent on Friday, Carmouche sees the fight as a test of two mixed martial artists in the purest form. “I think its going to be a really good fight. We’re both just mixed martial artists. I think both of us are going to be hunting for that finish.”
Carmouche takes on Porto in the co-main event of Bellator 256 on Showtime.
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