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ShareMILLIONS is using the Personal Video feature to connect with our athletes and we asked Bellator MMA fighter Liz Carmouche five questions. She responded using the short form ask me anything video.
Here are those questions and her answers:
MILLIONS: You’ve been competing and winning in Bellator for the past couple years, do you see yourself fighting in the UFC again?
Carmouche: I don't think that I would. I think that that's the chapter that I've experienced and I'm so grateful for the opportunity that it's provided and every experience I had. But I'm really happy in Bellator and if for any reason that doesn't keep going forward, I don't see myself going backwards. I see myself instead finding a new chapter and a new organization to start with. But I'm really happy with Bellator. I see that being a long future, as long as they’ll keep me.
MILLIONS: What aspects of your game have you been focusing on during training lately?
Carmouche: Right now, the aspects of my game I’ve really been focusing on is putting the pieces together completely. Usually what I’ll work on is, say, head movement or I'm trying to work on better form with kicks, better combinations, but I haven't been very good about putting all those pieces together and trying to work on everything in conjunction with each other. That's my big focal point lately is to really try and put all those pieces together and also focus more on myself. The last few fights have kind of focused on what would my opponent do. My opponents never come out and do the same thing ever. So my biggest focus lately has just been on what can I do to make myself better and to go out there and put on the most exciting performance possible for the fans.
MILLIONS: If you could fight one superstar female fighter past or present who would it be?
Carmouche: Believe it or not be it would be Cris Cyborg. One, because I really respect all the effort that she puts in daily when I see the grind that she does, the training that she does, I'm really blown away. Also because I've met her and I've had dinners with her and when we were both in the UFC and I was seeing her at Bellator and she's been such a sweetheart to me that I really respect how she presents herself and how she carries herself. But that would really require that she could come down to, like, 125 maybe 135. So that's actually happened. But you know, when we're playing that, that pretend stage, if she could actually be in a weight class, I would love to fight Cris Cyborg. I think it'd be really exciting battle and she's such a well-rounded fighter. I think it'd be a lot of fun for fans to watch.
MILLIONS: What kind of experience do you have growing marijuana? And what are some of your favorite strains?
Carmouche: I don't have any experience growing marijuana. I am a big advocate for its uses and all of its medical benefits. I myself I’m big on CBD use for myself and, I think that just comes more from restrictions that were placed upon me both in the Bellator and the UFC with not really being able to enjoy it and then now I have a six-year-old. So now when I finally have that opportunity to see what marijuana is all about, my life doesn't really govern that and allow me to do so. So I don't have much experience with it, but CBD is a big one in my life and I typically ingest that with tinctures or oils.
MILLIONS: What’s your favorite post-fight ritual win or lose?
Carmouche: That would be two things. One, without the COVID restrictions, if I have an opportunity to travel post-fight, and I like to stay like if I go to a different country or go to a different city I've never been to, then I'd like to stay in that place and I like to see all the local things that are just known. There are those local jewels. Now, whether that's like when I fought in Prague I got to travel and see all the beautiful architecture Prague and try all the traditional foods that they're known for and go on a horseback ride through Europe. Or it's just something where like I fought in Columbus, Ohio and I got to stay afterwards and right around that time they were putting on some bodybuilding shows, that were known like the Schwarzenegger, I think it's just a big event. So I actually got to go walk through that and see what that was about and that was really cool.
So usually my post-fight ritual is I want to be a little bit of a fatty and try all the different foods that are local for the area that I'm in and as well as get to sight see whether it's museums or architecture or anything else that that place is known for and really take it in. Now whether win or lose it doesn't matter that’s always kind of the tradition. What really changes is post-fight if it's a loss I think I'm a little bit depressed. I put a lot of effort in these fight camps and I really pulled myself to a really high expectation of what I want for myself. And so if I lose, it's kind of taking morning of everything that I put into it and sadness that it's gone and that it was a failed opportunity.
But even when I win, it's kind of a similar experience because like I said I really placed a lot of value on myself and a lot of expectations on myself. So I hold myself to a high standard and oftentimes I fight so I make mistakes because I'm a human being and I won't be satisfied with my performance. So I take a little bit of a morning for all the effort that I put in both for what my coaches put in, my training partners and everything, and that it wasn't met to the way it was supposed to be and then I let it go and move on so that I can get ready for the next fight.
You too can get a Personal Video from Liz Carmouche here, and if you ever want to connect with your favorite athletes, visit MILLIONS and ask them your own questions using the Personal Video feature and ask them anything!
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