A couple of trailblazers in Roxanne Modafferi and Liz Carmouche are ready to throw down in July.
After becoming the first female UFC fighter to win a fight in Russia, Roxanne Modafferi is ready for her next challenge. And apparently, it’s a former title challenger. On Tuesday, ESPN was first to report that the UFC was targeting a fight between ‘The Happy Warrior’ and Liz Carmouche, who fought Ronda Rousey in the very first women’s title fight in UFC history.
In fact, the fight was the first time women had ever set foot inside the octagon as competitors. Though Carmouche would lose that night, she remains part of UFC history, and was also the very first woman in the cage at UFC 157 in 2013, when she was submitted by Rousey.
How things have changed. Rousey has long since exited the sport. Carmouche (13-6) has found new life at flyweight, meanwhile. She’s 2-1 in the weight class, losing her 125lb debut to Alexis Davis before winning two straight against Jennifer Maia and Lucie Pudilova.
A third straight win could give ‘The Girl-Rilla’ a case for a title shot, especially given Modafferi’s high profile and status as a former title contender herself. Modafferi (23–15) came up short against Nicco Montano in the first ever women’s flyweight title fight in the UFC, back at the Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale. She has gone 2-1 since that Fight of the Night loss, falling to Sijara Eubanks, but picking up wins over Barb Honchak and Antonina Shevchenko.
UFC San Antonio is expected to serve as UFC on ESPN 4. It takes place July 20, 2019 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.
