Liz Carmouche talks MMA, military, fans
Liz Carmouche attempts to submit Ronda Rousey during their women's bantamweight title at UFC 157 at the t Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. (Feb. 23, 2013) Credit: Getty
Not every quote can find its way into a story, so here are a few leftovers from a pre-fight chat with Liz Carmouche.
By the way, the 29-year-old former Marine lost to Alexis Davis via unanimous decision at UFC Fight for the Troops 3 at Fort Campbell in Kentucky on Wednesday night.
On her first interest in martial arts as a kid . . .
"The cool kung-fu movies."
On turning to MMA . . .
"When I got out of the Marine Corps, I was just looking for something that had that discipline, that challenge and that art to it. Mixed martial arts seemed like a better fit than focusing on the traditional martial arts."
On fans connecting with her from multiple areas of life . . .
"If you didn't connect with a fighter, then you're not committed to their career, you're not committed to their fights. If they're a Marine, they connect on the Marine level. If they're struggling with their sexuality, then they connect on that level. If they were a college student and graduated, they connect with me on that level."
On interacting with people from different circles of her life . . .
"I certainly feel I adapt to the people around me, but it doesn't mean that the rest of who I am falls away."
On watching tape of opponents vs. letting coaches do that . . .
"Iv'e already watched tape on them, if for nothing else, I want to adapt my own game and I want to evolve."
On her coaches making her watch fight tape . . .
"In that sense, i'm a Marine. You just tell me to do whatever it is you want me to go in there and do and I'm gonna listen and do it. You want me to jump off the cage, fine, I'll jump off that cage. you just tell me and I go."
On not watching the current season of "The Ultimate Fighter," feature female fighters . . .
"When I get home, the last thing I want to do is watch drama."
On her approach to fighting compared with her military experience . . .
"Fighting can be just as difficult as what I experienced in the military. If anything, my mentality is more like fighting with my sister. She smacks me and I want to smack her back right away and smack her harder because she hit me. That's what fighting is to me. It's you smack me and I go, 'Really?' and I have to hit you back harder and it keeps escalating from there."
