In the main event of UFC 157, Ronda Rousey (7-0) triumphed over precarious circumstances early on to finally submit number one contender Liz Carmouche via an armbar (shocker) late in the first round of their UFC Women’s Bantamweight title fight on Feb. 23.

Carmouche presented the hardest fight of Rousey’s career. She tried to end the fight in identical fashion to the Faber-Menjivar bout earlier in the evening. Carmouche took her back early and tried to sink a choke and crank her neck (while riding piggy-back), but Rousey ultimately pulled her off, took her to the ground, and made Carmouche the seventh victim of a Rousey armbar in the first round.

After fighting in the clinch and taking Carmouche down, Rousey calmly sat in side control while delivering headstrikes to Carmouche for what seemed like an eternity (two minutes actually). Finally, she rotated her hips and started working on the arm. Carmouche held on courageously, but Rousey eventually extended the arm and Carmouche tapped out at 4:49 of the first round.

I personally feel that it is a good thing that Rousey is the face of WMMA and she has most certainly earned the right to be called the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion.

It looks like her next opponent will be the winner of the Miesha Tate vs. Cat Zingano at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale in April. I cannot wait to see Rousey’s next title defense. She has certainly turned me into a fan with this bout.