UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Liz Carmouche went a bit above and past to be within the area anyway, so she wasn’t about to begin resting on her laurels in opposition to Kana Watanabe.
Carmouche (22-7), Bellator’s ladies’s flyweight champion, submitted Watanabe (13-3-1) with simply seven seconds left of their battle at PFL 4 this previous Thursday at Mohegan Solar Enviornment. With simply 3 factors from her opening battle of the season, Carmouche knew the distinction between a 4-point end within the third spherical and a 3-point determination may very well be the distinction between combating for $1 million and a title in August and November, or sitting dwelling.
“Initially, earlier than she stood up, I felt like when she introduced her hand below that she really tapped, however I wasn’t positive if it was her making an attempt to seize her personal arm or an precise faucet,” Carmouche mentioned of her armbar end. “I knew the ref didn’t pull me off, so I used to be like, ‘No matter I’ve to do, I’ve received to get this arm. I’ve received to take it dwelling with me.’ That’s all I do know.
“I’ve misplaced so many selections (pondering I gained on) the factors card, I gained each aspect of combating, and it nonetheless went to the opposite opponent. So no method was I strolling out of there pondering that I gained – I simply knew that I needed to end that battle. And even only for my development, I knew how necessary it was to safe an precise end.”
Had Carmouche not gotten Watanabe to faucet and gone to the scorecards and misplaced a choice, she’d have missed the postseason. And even a mere determination win as an alternative of the end would have drastically reshaped the ladies’s flyweight playoff area.
Her 4 factors for the end meant Carmouche had 7 for the season, good for the No. 3 spot. That left Jena Bishop with 6 at No. 4 and set to tackle high seed Dakota Ditcheva within the semifinals. Carmouche is matched up with No. 2 Taila Santos.
However a choice win would have meant the potential for her to be No. 4, leaving Ditcheva as her semifinal opponent as an alternative of Santos. Ditcheva was a 40-1 favourite in her win over Chelsea Hackett to safe the highest spot.
Early in opposition to Watanabe, the battle was on the canvas sufficient that Carmouche might have figured she’d be in for a 3-point grind.
“I at all times discover a method,” Carmouche mentioned. “She got here out and I used to be like, ‘Wow, I wasn’t anticipating her to shoot.’ I anticipated her to right away clinch – I assumed for positive that’s what she’s going for. The shot was not what I anticipated. I used to be undoubtedly down there like, ‘Effectively, we weren’t actually engaged on this.’ I’m spending method an excessive amount of time fascinated about ‘Wow, this isn’t the place we’re presupposed to be’ and I’m like, ‘Hey, you’ve received to get your head again on this. You’ve received to do that. You got here right here to complete this battle and to advance within the playoffs the best method. Let’s do that. We’re not simply going to be an alternate battle. We’re going there to get this belt. So come out and discover a option to end it.’”
Take a look at Carmouche’s full post-fight interview above.
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