Ronda Rousey’s UFC Journey: Breaking Barriers and Records

Ronda Rousey is that person for mixed martial arts (MMA). The “Rowdy” Ronda not only blazed a path by being the first female fighter in history to sign with the UFC; she did so while simultaneously breaking nearly every record previously set and ushering women into MMA, forever changing sport discourse. Her rise in the UFC is one of mastery—an incendiary pioneering zeal and unyielding grace that indubitably redefined women’s MMA.

Early life and Olympic wins
Ronda Rousey, before she moved to MMA, has been a successful athlete for a long time. Rousey was born on February 1, 1987, in Riverside, California. She was initiated to judo by her mother, AnnMaria De Mars, who was a world champion in judo. Still, Rousey grew through the ranks, and by the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she had won a bronze medal in judo and became the first American woman to do so. She had a good background in judo that prepared her for MMA and supplied her with grappling skills and a competitive spirit.

Transition to MMA
Rousey entered professional MMA when she fought in King of the Cage on March 27, 2011, and demonstrated her great judo moves and attacking stance. One of her most famous maneuvers is the armbar, and her initial opponents could not escape the wrath of this maneuver and got defeated in under one minute. In her early MMA career, Rousey knockout after knockout forced the attention of the biggest MMA promotions that signed her to Strikeforce, where she continued her destruction of the women’s bantamweight division.

Signing with the UFC
The turning point in Rousey’s career was in November 2012, when she became the first female fighter in the UFC. MMA was not originally considered by Dana White, the UFC President, as a sport for women; however, upon witnessing the fighting ability of Rousey as well as her appeal to the market, he developed the women’s bantamweight division solely for Rousey. This was a major achievement in the history of MMA, and it paved the way for women to fight in the cage at the highest level.

UFC Debut and Dominance
Rousey’s UFC debut was on February 23rd, 2013 against Liz Carmouche at UFC 157. Even though the bout was historical, as it was the first women’s bout in UFC history, it was also the bout that headlined a big PPV event. Rousey had a stiff contest as Carmouche nearly locked a rear-naked choke on her in the first round. But the heart of Rousey was on display, as was her skill, as she was able to escape the submission attempt, put the chokehold on, and win by armbar in the first round to retain her title.

It could be considered that this victory became the starting point for Rousey’s UFC dominance. She then successfully defended her title six more times against Tate, McMann, Davis, Zingano, and Correia. Every fight made her more invincible in the octagon of the cage, which made her the dominant figure in entertainment.

Notable fights and records
Rousey vs. Tate II: UFC 168
In this case, one of the most famous feuds in women’s mixed martial arts history is that between Rousey and Miesha Tate. The next time they faced each other was at UFC 168 on December 28, 2013, and this was much hyped. Tate, who has always been considered to be a sturdy opponent with fast takedowns and a strong BJJ background, was the first to make Rousey go to the third round of her fights. Although Tate did her best to defend, Rousey once again triumphed and managed to get another armbar win.

Ronda Rousey vs. Sara McMann (UFC 170)
The bout between Rousey and Olympic silver medalist wrestler Sara McMann on February 22, 2014, at UFC 170 is a perfect example. Instead of the very popular armbar submission that she always pulls off, Rousey delivered a knee to the body to bring her TKO win to 66 seconds. It further proved that Rousey could not only beat her opponents on the ground but also stand up and strike.

Ronda Rousey vs. Alexis Davis (UFC 175)
Then, at UFC 175 on July 5, 2014, Rousey faced Alexis Davis, another Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. A dramatic victory saw Rousey knockdown Davis by a judo throw followed by ground-and-pound to give the MMA world a 16-second knockout. This victory remains the shortest in a UFC women’s title fight up to that point.

Ronda Rousey vs. Cat Zingano (UFC 184)
Rousey’s bout against Cat Zingano on February 28, 2015, at UFC 184 also exhibited how she was able to manage pressure and end fights swiftly. American fighter Zingano, who has a notable aggressive style, charged at Rousey at the onset of the fight; she was easily countered and finished off with an armbar in just 14 seconds. It was the latest achievement that made history in the UFC title fight submission, both for a male and a female fighter.

Ronda Rousey vs. Bethe Correia (UFC 190)
In the next bout, at UFC 190 on August 1, 2015, Rousey faced Bethe Correia, who had been insulting Rousey in the build-up to the fight. In a heated match due to Rousey’s personal issues with Correia, Rousey was able to knock out Correia in a mere 34 seconds, displaying her force. This victory also proved Rousey’s diversity and her capacity to win via different types of knockouts.

The Fall and Legacy
She was, however, dethroned at UFC 193 on November 15, 2015, by Holly Holm. Holm, a former pro boxer and kick boxer, performed a perfect game strategy, using her strikes to never allow Rousey to get close. In the second round, Holm again struck a high blow to Rousey’s head, which made her unconscious. This snapped Rousey’s string of victories.

Rousey’s bid to win back the belt at UFC 207 on December 30, 2016 from Amanda Nunes also proved to be a failure, as Nunes knocked out Rousey within the first round with strikes. These losses put an end to Rousey’s UFC career, but she will always be remembered for what she did for the sport.

Breaking Barriers
Rousey’s impact did not just stop at her fights. She played a huge role in pave the way for female fighters in MMA to show that women too can be big attractions in MMA. Hence, her marketability and ability to appeal to the general market ensured that women in MMA were portrayed more frequently. Thanks to Rousey’s achievements, it was easier for other fighters such as Amanda Nunes, Joanna Jdrzejczyk, and Valentina Shevchenko to further develop women’s MMA.

The influence of Ronda Rousey in popular culture
Her influence did not only extend to the MMA but even to the general population. She eventually turned into a Hollywood actress, starring in the films The Expendables 3, Furious 7, and Entourage. Among other things, her success was due to her charm, physical abilities, and hard-working attitude, which made her a successful example for women and girls engaged in combat sports and other endeavors.

Post-UFC Career
Rousey, after UFC competition, began her professional wrestling career when she joined WWE in 2018. She got involved in significant matches, and within a short period, she became the Raw Women’s Champion, who featured in the main events, including WrestleMania 35. She continued to achieve more success in WWE, which made her a pioneer in the combat sports industry.

In 2013, Rowdy broke barriers and made history on her way to inspiring a trailblazing generation of female fighters as the first woman champion in UFC history. And her dominance in the octagon, along with help from successfully selling fights on TV and pay-per-view, served to transcend the sport and allowed Rousey to become one of MMA’s most iconic figures. Although her reign came to an end prematurely, she is still remembered as a pioneer and, more importantly, a defender. Rousey’s contributions to women’s MMA have been so significant that her name will be intertwined with greatness for years to come as a trailblazer.