Top 5: Ronda Rousey Submissions

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Ronda Rousey never stood taller than she did on the night of Feb. 23, 2013.

The Olympic bronze medalist retained the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight title when she put away Liz Carmouche with an armbar in the first round of their UFC 157 main event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Rousey brought it to a close 4:49 into Round 1 before a raucous crowd of 13,257, which was on hand to witness the historic first-ever showdown between two females inside the Octagon.

“I knew she would be very, very tough. I was expecting to go five rounds,” Rousey said afterward. “With 10 seconds’ difference, it could have gone to the next round and been very different. She’s extremely tough. Much respect to her.” Carmouche put a scare into the decorated judoka before she bowed out. The Lafayette, Louisiana, native transitioned to champion’s back a little more than a minute into the match and tried to spring a shocking stoppage, first with a standing rear-naked choke and then with a painful neck crank. Rousey could not hide the fact that she was in distress, but she managed to free herself from danger and forced the “Girl-Rilla” into a far less advantageous position. She ultimately powered into top position and assaulted the Team Hurricane Awesome representative with a series of punches to the face, setting the stage for the finish. Soon, Carmouche was trapped and her efforts to escape proved fruitless. Rousey isolated the arm after a prolonged struggle and secured the tapout.

It ranks as one of the most memorable submissions of Rousey’s groundbreaking career. Here are four more to consider:

Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate
Strikeforce “Tate vs. Rousey”
March 3, 2012 | Columbus Ohio
After a 4-0 start to her career saw her win those first four fights in 2:18 combined, Rousey challenged “Cupcake” for the Strikeforce women’s bantamweight championship. She dispatched Tate with an armbar to capture the 135-pound title in the first round of their main event at Nationwide Arena. The reluctant tapout came 4:36 into Round 1, with Tate’s left arm grotesquely hyperextended between the judoka’s legs. Tate held nothing back, came out firing and tagged her counterpart with a stout right hand during their opening exchange. The Olympian responded with the first of her two takedowns and transitioned immediately to an armbar. Tate freed herself and initiated a scramble that resulted in her taking the “Judo” Gene LeBell protégé’s back. Eventually, they returned to their feet, and Rousey executed a beautiful throw. She then moved to mount, unleashed punches, forced Tate to surrender her back and latched onto the arm again. This time, there was no escape.

Ronda Rousey vs. Sarah Kaufman
Strikeforce “Rousey vs. Kaufman”
Aug. 18, 2012 | San Diego
“Rowdy Ronda” tightened her stranglehold on the Strikeforce women’s bantamweight championship when she put away the well-regarded Kaufman with an armbar in the first round of their headliner at the Valley View Casino Center. Rousey prompted the Canadian’s surrender 54 seconds into Round 1. The burgeoning superstar punched her way into an immediate clinch and brought Kaufman to the ground with an exquisite inside trip. Rousey then mounted and transitioned to the armbar without hesitation, and a brief but futile response from the challenger could not undo the maneuver. Kaufman soon realized the dire nature of her situation and raised the white flag.

Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate
UFC 168
Dec. 28, 2013 | Las Vegas
The second verse was the same as the first. Rousey successfully defended her undisputed women’s bantamweight crown when she dismissed her archrival with an armbar in the third round of their emotionally charged co-main event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The first woman to escape the opening round with the champion, Tate conceded defeat 58 seconds into Round 3. Rousey scored with throws in all three rounds and assaulted her challenger with punches and elbows on the mat. She mounted Tate in the second round, where she made her first pass at an armbar. Tate dodged the bullet and managed to escape the inverted triangle that followed. However, her efforts only seemed to prolong the inevitable. In Round 3, Tate countered a takedown and settled into top position. Rousey wasted no time, went to work from the bottom, isolated the challenger’s left arm and forced the tapout.

Ronda Rousey vs. Cat Zingano
UFC 184
Feb. 28, 2015 | Los Angeles
Misguided aggression did not serve Zingano well. Rousey turned away another would-be successor with a straight armbar in the first round of their brief headliner, as she retained the women’s bantamweight championship in spectacular fashion at the Staples Center. It was over in just 14 seconds. The previously unbeaten Zingano fired a flying knee right out of the gate and wandered recklessly into the clinch. She tossed Rousey to the canvas with an ill-advised throw, but the champion scrambled immediately to the back, pinned the challenger’s exposed limb underneath her armpit and calmly cranked on the maneuver for the finish. More than a decade later, it remains the fastest submission in UFC history.