Sherdog’s Top 10: Greatest Moments in UFC History

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5. Breaking the Gender Barrier

UFC President Dana White famously said more than once that he disliked women’s MMA and that the Ultimate Fighting Championship would never include it on any of its cards. Even with the popularity of Gina Carano in EliteXC, White remained steadfast in not having women compete inside the Octagon.

However, when a young Olympic judoka named Ronda Rousey started tearing apart her division, White realized he had something significant brewing in the Zuffa-owned Strikeforce. On the eve of UFC 154, the UFC announced it had signed Rousey. She took out Liz Carmouche in the UFC 157 main event and never looked back. Rousey has destroyed everyone she has faced and become the most popular star in the sport. Women are fighting on virtually every UFC card, and women’s MMA has become popular enough that an entire season of “The Ultimate Fighter” was devoted to it. Meanwhile, Zuffa has partnered with Invicta Fighting Championships, an all-female MMA promotion, and airs its events live on the UFC Fight Pass platform.

Number 4 » The Fox Debut