Ronda Rousey vs. Liz Carmouche: Keys to Victory for Carmouche

Most people aren't giving Liz Carmouche a chance to pull off an upset at UFC 157.

They're saying she can't hang with the more diverse Ronda Rousey.  They're saying that it's Rousey's spotlight to lose and that Rousey is going to be one of the greatest female fighters of all time.

Well, when a tenured veteran and former U.S. Marine steps inside of the Octagon, she most certainly possesses a puncher's chance.

Here are Carmouche's keys to victory against the polarizing Rousey and why people shouldn't sleep on the challenger.

Take Her Time

Nobody really knows for sure how good Ronda Rousey's conditioning truly is. 

She's never been pushed to a second round, she's never really been hit flush and her six total professional fights have averaged just over 1:30. 

When you truly think about, Rousey's sample size is fairly small.  Unlike Liz Carmouche, the glamorous champion hasn't been tested.  She hasn't been in the wars that Carmouche has.

So for the sake of finding out how far Rousey's skills truly stretch, Carmouche should be looking to take her time, pick her shots, play it safe and bring "Rowdy" into a world that she has never explored: the second round!

Make Rousey Pay

For the most part, Ronda Rousey hasn't been flustered inside of a cage.  She hasn't really encountered too much pain and adversity.

That's exactly what Liz Carmouche needs to do.  She needs to make the champion pay on the feet in exchanges that would usually result in Rousey attempting an armbar.

Carmouche is a heavy hitter, and striking is her strong suit, so trying to implement this game plan should be fairly easy.

The difficult part is actually connecting with Rousey's beautiful chin.

Stay off the Ground

Whether it's off her back or in the guard, Liz Carmouche doesn't want to roll with Ronda Rousey.  It's just a portion of the fight that she desperately wants to avoid.

If Carmouche can stay on her feet and tire Rousey by clinching and landing significant shots, she could break the champ's will to try and bring the fight to the ground.

It's a tough task, to say the least, but at this point, what sane individual would opt to battle Rousey at her own game?

Keep Her Head on Straight

Now, while defending Ronda Rousey's armbar attempts is vastly important to Liz Carmouche's title hopes, the fight isn't going to start on the ground.

Therefore, the challenger that nobody is giving a shot to win needs to keep her head in the game.

This is going to be such a momentous and nerve-racking experience for both women involved, and staying cool, calm and collected could spell the difference between success and failure.

Carmouche has the ability to do that and could flourish in this situation.

For more UFC/UFC 157 news and coverage, follow @DHiergesell