Liz Carmouche on Fellow Marines in MMA & Strikeforce Fight with Sarah Kaufman

In her last Strikeforce appearance, Liz Carmouche nearly mounted one of the biggest upsets in the short history of women's MMA.

After dominating Strikeforce women's welterweight champion Marloes Coenen in the second and third rounds, Carmouche appeared to be on her way to capturing the belt with another takedown early in the fourth round. However, Coenen did her best Anderson Silva impression by locking in a triangle choke to retain her title when all hope appeared to be lost.

Although she lost the fight, Carmouche's performance, after taking the fight on two weeks' notice, propelled her into a role as one of the top contenders in the division. As a result, Carmouche will now fight former Strikeforce women's welterweight champion Sarah Kaufman this Friday.

Carmouche will look to rebound from her disappointing loss with a win that would put her back in position to get another shot at the title. In an exclusive interview with Bleacher Report, Carmouche reasoned that her loss to Coenen was a constructive experience.

"I think it definitely took me to a new level of motivation," Carmouche said. "She's a champion with over a decade of experience. I was going in there just hoping for the best. It was definitely encouraging. I wasn't getting down on myself at all. It's probably the most positive loss I could ever experience."

For Carmouche, the opportunity to fight for the belt came as a result of an injured Miesha Tate having to withdraw from the originally scheduled title fight. With only five professional fights under her belt, Carmouche admitted that she was surprised to be chosen as Tate's replacement.

"I had been training hard, but I wasn't necessarily eating the healthiest," Carmouche said. "At first I was just confused. I was like, 'Okay, I must be hearing this wrong. To have a shot at the champion? I'm a nobody. There's no possibility.' Once it finally sunk in, I was nothing but excited and just grateful for the opportunity."

Having gained full mount in both the second and third rounds of her fight with Coenen, it appeared that Carmouche had spent a ton of energy attempting to finish the fight. However, Carmouche said her conditioning had nothing to do with getting caught in the submission that resulted in her loss.

"I don't think I tired myself out at all," Carmouche said. "As far as cardio and strength, I definitely felt like I was fine. I got a little overconfident and made a mistake. In MMA, you make a small mistake and somebody else can capitalize on it and she did."

Just one of many former Marines competing at a high level in MMA, Carmouche served in Iraq on multiple occasions. After five years in the military, Carmouche has the utmost appreciation for her fellow Marines-turned-mixed martial artists such as Brian Stann.

"I think [what Stann is doing is] amazing," Carmouche said. "Just like Tim Kennedy, he's a great representative of the military. I have nothing but respect for them."

After experiencing the hardships of war, these Marines will be hard-pressed to become overwhelmed by anything that lies before them in MMA. Carmouche feels that her background in the military has helped her drive to become the best that she can be inside the cage.

"I think when we're faced with the possibilities in Iraq and some of the negative aspects, as far as life's challenges and our lives and everything on the line, it kind of gives us that drive to continue forward and to be strong," Carmouche said.

"No matter how hungry or tired you are, you can't stop in Iraq," Carmouche told Bleacher Report. "That's not a possibility. You have to keep pushing forward. I think that's the same drive it gives us in MMA. We're going for that ultimate goal. We're pushing, we're not going to stop until we get it."

In 20 combined fights in their MMA careers, Carmouche and Kaufman have each only lost once, both via disappointing submissions against Coenen. Therefore, Carmouche believes the winner of her next should get another chance to become champion.

"I certainly hope so," Carmouche said. "It's ultimately up to Strikeforce what they want to do with our futures. I certainly hope the winner will have another shot at the belt."

As for her prediction on the outcome of her fight with Kaufman, Carmouche guarantees nothing but an exciting bout between two of the division's elite.

"I think that it's going to be three five-minute, back-and-forth [rounds]," Carmouche said. "I think it's going to be entertaining. I think it's going to be a great brawl. I'm really looking forward to it."

Sean Smith is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter here.