Sherdog.com’s 2013 Story of the Year

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2. Women in the UFC

It was only three years ago that UFC President Dana White famously stated that women would “never” fight in the Octagon. How times have changed.

After dissolving Strikeforce and absorbing the fighter roster to kick off 2013, the UFC held a historic main event on Feb. 23, when Ronda Rousey put her bantamweight crown on the line in the first women’s bout in UFC history. “Rowdy” took care of business as the favorite, submitting onetime Strikeforce title challenger Liz Carmouche with her patented first-round armbar after escaping a nasty rear-naked choke attempt and a potential wardrobe malfunction.

As Rousey’s star continued to rise through 2013, so did the status of the women’s MMA. The UFC champion co-starred as a coach on “The Ultimate Fighter 18” opposite rival Miesha Tate, a buildup that culminated with their rematch at UFC 168. Season 18 of “The Ultimate Fighter” was the first to feature females and a co-ed cast, with the women’s bouts consistently outdrawing the men’s fights in the ratings. The series introduced a handful of new talents to the women’s bantamweight division, including veterans like Shayna Baszler and Roxanne Modafferi, as well as season winner Julianna Pena.

The UFC also hosted several notable women’s confrontations outside the bounds of “The Ultimate Fighter,” including a wild three-rounder between Tate and Cat Zingano that earned “Alpha” a coaching opportunity on the reality series before a serious knee injury forced UFC officials to replace her with Tate. Alexis Davis, Jessica Andrade and Jessica Eye also made noise, picking up big victories to further their title ambitions.

Clearly noticing the success of the women’s 135-pound division, White announced plans to bring in a 115-pound category in November, and the organization acquired 11 strawweight contracts from Invicta Fighting Championships, including that of champion Carla Esparza.

Esparza will now be joined by the likes of Scottish muay Thai practitioner Joanne Calderwood and hard-hitting Brazilian Claudia Gadelha, who will compete to become the inaugural UFC strawweight queen during the filming of “The Ultimate Fighter 20” in May. The season will be the first to feature an all-female cast and will also see Tecia Torres, Felice Herrig, Bec Hyatt and Rose Namajunas pack their bags for the famous fighter house in Las Vegas.

Some previously wondered if enough quality female talent existed to form an entire division in the UFC -- a concern that has now been answered unequivocally. The women of MMA have set up shop in the Octagon, and they have no plans to leave any time soon.

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