Was Ronda Rousey vs. Liz Carmouche the Most Important Fight in WMMA History?

Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche proved that women not only have a place in the UFC, but they can main event in the world's largest MMA promotion.

At UFC 157, history was made as Rousey successfully defended her bantamweight title in the first ever women's UFC bout.

Everyone wasn't happy about the idea of women even competing in the UFC, much less being featured in the main event. Some cynics even discounted the bout altogether and believed fans would head for the exits after the co-main event bout between Dan Henderson and Lyoto Machida.

If the latter were true, there were some disgruntled fans leaving the Honda Center in Anaheim, California on Saturday night.

While Henderson and Machida failed to live up to the hype, Rousey vs. Carmouche proved to be one of the more exciting bouts on the entire fight card, despite never making it out of the first round.

With the world breathing down their necks, there wasn't any room for a lackluster performance from the ladies, whose bout was rightfully dubbed the most important fight in women's MMA history.

The only other fight that comes close was the August 2009 Strikeforce championship bout between Gina Carano and Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos.

The road was paved by Carano and Santos, but Rousey and Carmouche were the drivers on Saturday night. You want to talk about pressure? How about the survival and success of an entire movement depending solely on your performance?

Decades from now, young women will look back on Rousey vs. Carmouche as the sole bout that opened the floodgates for their entry into the UFC.

Can any other bout in MMA history say that?