Liz Carmouche, MMA pioneer and former U.S. Marine, featured in Home Bases ESPN special (Video)

Liz Carmouche teamed up with USAA and ESPN to show off her “home base” in San Diego, CA.

Liz Carmouche is one of the most recognizable names in the history of MMA; after bringing women’s MMA to the mainstream after her fight with former UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey at UFC 157. Carmouche continues to be a stable presence in the sport as one of the top flyweight contenders in Bellator, one of the largest promotions in MMA.

But, Carmouche attributes a lot of her success in athletics to her time overseas, as a U.S. Marine serving three tours before completing her military service in 2009. After returning to the states, Carmouche began her MMA career fighting in smaller promotions such as Native Fighting Championship and Strikeforce. She went back to school to study kinesiology at San Diego City College and trained MMA during her free time.

After undergoing the pressures that come with war and serving in the Marine Corps, Carmouche’s MMA career started off with six straight victories that included a win over the current UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko.

“Being in the military taught me discipline, which I feel is why I’ve had the success I’ve had in MMA,” Carmouche told FanSided. “I definitely wouldn’t be the athlete I am today without that experience. The opportunity to serve my country was something I’ll never forget or take for granted.”

Carmouche is one of the athletes featured in a six-part social media campaign produced by ESPN and USAA, to allow viewers an inside look at the homes of athletes who have connections to the military and U.S. veterans as a whole. The series will be hosted by ESPN commentator Gary Striewski and will feature other notable athletes such as NFL stars Aaron Jones and George Kittle, along with Carmouche’s MMA colleague and UFC legend Randy Couture.

Liz Carmouche is one of the most important fighters in the history of women’s MMA

Carmouche isn’t just showing off her home, but will also help bring awareness to issues regarding military veterans and also give an inside look into her experience of serving her country. She hopes that viewers will be able to understand what veterans go through and the challenges they face when they return home.

Especially with the events that have transpired on a global scale during the COVID-19 pandemic, home means a lot to military veterans just as it does the general public. Carmouche hopes her story will inspire others to make their voice heard and help fix some of the issues that veterans face on a regular basis.

“We need to get to a point where veterans feel they are not only being acknowledged for their service but also helped with the transition to civilian life,” Carmouche said. “Service members go through all kinds of challenges when they come home, and we need to do more to help those who have sacrificed everything for our freedoms.”