About Liz Carmouche
Liz Carmouche is arguably the most innovative MMA fighter there is. First of all, she and Ronda Rousey became the first two female fighters to ever compete in a UFC match. Even though she was defeated by Rousey in the first round of their fight at UFC 157, she still made a tremendous effort that will be eternally remembered in the organization’s history. Additionally, Carmouche is the first openly LGBT (lesbian) competitor to ever represent the top mixed martial arts organization in the world.
Two significant events, huh? This is Carmouche’s narrative.
- Date of Birth: Liz Carmouche was born on February 19, 1984 in Lafayette, Louisiana.
- Nickname and Fighting Organization: Liz Carmouche’s nickname is Girl-Rilla. She fights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
- Family Life and Upbringing: Though Carmouche was born in Louisiana, she was raised in Okinawa, Japan, as her father was a U.S. Air Force officer there. She is of Lebanese, Irish, and Cajun descent.
Years in the Military
Carmouche served in the Marine Corps for five years as a helicopter technician, serving three deployments to the Middle East. She explained the following to SportsIllustrated.com about her decision to join the Marine Corps:
“I kinda had an idea that I wanted to do it at a really young age. But I started working at a really young age — like 12 or 13 — and a lot of the work I did was on the base. I got to interact with all kinds of military personnel and each branch of the military and see what they’re really like. I’d see their obstacle courses and they would do their physical fitness tests. I got to see all of it and listen to their stories. That’s really how I started getting interested.
And then I thought that I could play soccer in the Air Force and get paid to do it. That was like, whoa, you can’t beat that. I can play soccer and be in the military. That didn’t work out. You had to be an officer to do what I was interested in doing. I couldn’t focus on school long enough to stick it out.”
