Liz Carmouche
Liz Carmouche made history when she fought in the first-ever women’s Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) match against Ronda Rousey in 2013. The headline event marked the beginning of women’s competition in the UFC, but it was historic for another reason as well: Carmouche became the first openly gay fighter to appear in an MMA event. “Being out has cost me sponsorship opportunities, fights, and speaking opportunities,” she tells GO. Still, she continues to make history as one of MMA’s top-ranked female fighters. The former Marine, who goes by the nickname “Girlrilla,” has a career record of 13 wins and 6 knockouts and ranks fifth in the UFC women’s flyweight division. She challenged twice for the UFC title: the first time against Rousey in 2013 and again in 2019 when she faced reigning flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko. Despite her professional success, Carmouche says the most rewarding part of her work “has been inspiring people that I’ve never met. I never anticipated that I could have an impact on so many lives.” Carmouche recently signed with Bellator MMA, a UFC competitor. —RK
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