Liz Carmouche facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Liz Carmouche |
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| Born | February 19, 1984 Lafayette, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Other names | Girl-Rilla |
| Residence | San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) |
| Weight | 125 lb (57 kg; 8.9 st) |
| Division | Bantamweight Flyweight |
| Reach | 66 in (168 cm) |
| Fighting out of | San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Team | Team Hurricane Awesome |
| Trainer | Manolo Hernandez |
| Rank | Black belt in 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu Yellow belt in American Kenpo |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 30 |
| Wins | 22 |
| By knockout | 9 |
| By submission | 6 |
| By decision | 7 |
| Losses | 8 |
| By submission | 2 |
| By decision | 6 |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/ |
 United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 2004–2009 |
| Battles/wars | War in Afghanistan Iraq War |
Liz Carmouche (born February 19, 1984) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter. She is currently signed with Bellator MMA, where she holds the title of Bellator Women's Flyweight World Champion. Carmouche also competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in both the Flyweight and Bantamweight divisions. She was a top-ranked fighter in the UFC's women's flyweight division.
Carmouche made history by competing in the very first women's MMA fight in the UFC. This happened when she challenged Ronda Rousey for the UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship at UFC 157. She also challenged for the UFC Women's Flyweight Championship in 2019 against Valentina Shevchenko.
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Early Life and Military Service
Liz Carmouche was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the United States. She spent her childhood in Okinawa, Japan. Her family background includes Lebanese, Irish, and Cajun French roots. Today, she lives in San Diego, California, where she trains at the San Diego Combat Academy.
She graduated from Okinawa Christian School International in Japan in 2003. She is also studying Kinesiology at San Diego City College.
Before becoming a professional MMA fighter, Carmouche served for five years in the Marine Corps. She worked as an aviation electrician and completed three tours of duty in the Middle East. Her nickname, "Girl-Rilla," comes from her strong build and impressive strength.
Mixed Martial Arts Career
Starting Her Career
Liz Carmouche began her professional fighting journey in 2010. She quickly showed her talent by winning her first three fights. These early victories came either by knockout or by submission.
Fighting in Strikeforce
In August 2010, Carmouche joined Strikeforce. She won her first fight there against Colleen Schneider. Later, in November 2010, she defeated Jan Finney by TKO.
In March 2011, Carmouche got a big chance to fight for the Women's Bantamweight Championship against Marloes Coenen. Even though she fought well, she lost the fight by submission in the fourth round. She also faced Sarah Kaufman in July 2011, losing by decision.
Competing in Invicta FC
Carmouche continued her career in Invicta Fighting Championships. In April 2012, she won her fight against Ashleigh Curry by TKO in the first round. A few months later, in July 2012, she defeated Kaitlin Young by submission.
Her Time in the UFC
Liz Carmouche made history in the UFC. She was chosen to be the first woman to challenge for a UFC title. This happened at UFC 157 in February 2013, where she fought Ronda Rousey for the UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship. Carmouche put up a strong fight, but Rousey won by armbar in the first round.
After this historic fight, Carmouche earned her first UFC win in July 2013, defeating Jéssica Andrade by TKO. She then faced Alexis Davis and Miesha Tate, losing both fights by decision.
In 2015, Carmouche won a unanimous decision against Lauren Murphy. She followed this with another win against Katlyn Chookagian in November 2016.
Moving to Flyweight
Carmouche later moved to the women's flyweight division. She fought Alexis Davis again in December 2017, losing by split decision. However, she bounced back with unanimous decision wins against Jennifer Maia in July 2018 and Lucie Pudilová in February 2019.
In August 2019, Carmouche had another chance to fight for a UFC title. She faced Valentina Shevchenko for the UFC Women's Flyweight Championship. She lost the fight by unanimous decision. In December 2019, Carmouche left the UFC.
Joining Bellator MMA
In December 2019, Liz Carmouche signed with Bellator MMA. She made her debut in September 2020, winning against DeAnna Bennett by submission.
She continued her winning streak in Bellator. In April 2021, she defeated former Invicta FC champion Vanessa Porto by unanimous decision. Then, in June 2021, she won against Kana Watanabe by TKO in just 35 seconds!
Becoming Bellator Champion
On April 22, 2022, Carmouche fought Juliana Velasquez for the Bellator Women's Flyweight World Championship. She won the fight by TKO in the fourth round, becoming the new champion!
Carmouche successfully defended her title multiple times. She won a rematch against Juliana Velasquez in December 2022 by armbar submission. In April 2023, she defended her title against DeAnna Bennett again, winning by arm-triangle choke. She also defended her title against Ilima-Lei Macfarlane in October 2023, winning by TKO.
Fighting in the PFL
Carmouche joined the Professional Fighters League (PFL) in April 2024. She won her first fight there against Juliana Velasquez by unanimous decision. In June 2024, she defeated Kana Watanabe by armbar submission. Her winning streak ended in August 2024 when she lost to Taila Santos by unanimous decision in a tournament semifinal.
Championships and Accomplishments
- Bellator MMA
Bellator Women's Flyweight World Championship (One time, current)
- Three successful title defenses
- Second most finishes in Bellator Women's Flyweight division history (6)
- Tied (Sumiko Inaba) for most knockouts in Bellator Women's Flyweight division history (3)
- 2010 – WMMA Press Awards Newcomer of the Year
Personal Life
Liz Carmouche has a son with her wife. She has a tattoo on her left side that represents the Chinese zodiac symbols of her mother and sister.
See also
In Spanish: Liz Carmouche para niños
- List of current Bellator fighters
- List of female mixed martial artists
