UFC 157 featured the first women’s fight in UFC history.
The event took place on February 23, 2013, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Its main event was a women’s bantamweight title fight between Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche. Rousey retained the championship by winning with an armbar in the first round.
The matchup marked the UFC debut of women’s competition and helped establish women’s MMA as a major part of the promotion. Carmouche created a dramatic opening by taking Rousey’s back and threatening a neck crank, but Rousey recovered and finished the fight.
UFC 157 is sometimes confused with the introduction of women’s MMA elsewhere. Women had competed in other major MMA organizations before the UFC added the division. The event’s specific distinction is that it was the first UFC card to include a women’s bout.