CAMP PENDLETON (KGTV) — Liz Carmouche, one of San Diego's most accomplished MMA fighters, is heading back into the ring Saturday at Pechanga Arena for PFL San Diego. Before the fight, she returned to Camp Pendleton — the place where her journey began as a U.S. Marine.
Carmouche is in her 16th year as a professional fighter. Before that, she served as an aviation electrician in the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton, including three tours in Iraq.
"I went to Iraq three times, and I feel like to experience, especially as a Marine, when you have very little resources but you still are expected to reach a goal — it definitely helped me understand I can have limited resources and still achieve what I want to," Carmouche told ABC 10News on Wednesday.
At 42, Carmouche shows no signs of slowing down. She will face Vivianna Araujo as part of Saturday night's Professional Fighters League card.
"What other place in the world can you be like — hey, I choked my friend today — and we're cool, that's fun and we laughed it off. For me, it's another chance to showcase what I'm working on. Every fight, I'm trying to try crazy stuff, bucket-list finishes, and Saturday's not going to be any different, making it really exciting for fans," Carmouche said.
Carmouche was invited to speak to Marines and sign autographs during her visit to the base.
"To look up at those mountains and go — oh yeah, I used to run those mountains in boots and utes. It's crazy now to see it on the civilian side of things and know the lifestyle they're leading right now," Carmouche said.
She also gave a few Marines a small taste of what it might be like to face her in the ring.
"Just seeing if they can take a 10 percent kick," Carmouche said.
Several Marines buckled after taking the light blow to the side of their leg.
"I think they were a little bit surprised at what they were facing," Carmouche said.
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