When Rousey signed with the UFC in 2013, she was the first woman to do that. Actually, if it wasn’t for her, the UFC wouldn’t have even picked up women’s MMA in the first place.
Before Rousey came along, Dana White, UFC President, didn’t think there was “enough depth” for a women’s division. He changed his mind only after watching Rousey in action. He stated that she first got him to change his mind, and then changed the world.
A Solid Partnership
By the end of 2016, Rousey was the best UFC female fighter in her weight class. Sponsorship offers came pouring in and Rousey partnered with brands like Carl’s Jr., Reebok, Buffalo Jeans, and Metro PCS.
After suffering two major career losses, some questions about the sponsorship began to arise — would the sponsors stand with Rousey? According to TMZ Sports, the sponsors were very supportive. Reebok even said that they stand beside her and that their partnership is not about wins or losses.
A UFC Hall of Famer
Rousey's success and popularity were almost instant. She became so famous so fast that in 2015, she was the third-most Googled person in the world.
Rousey got the world interested in women’s fighting. That, alongside her previously mentioned achievements, earned her well-deserved respect. She was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018 and became the first woman to do that.
Rousey's Armbar
Rousey's signature move is the armbar — a position which locks the opponent's arms when they're stretched in front of them. This may not sound fancy, but it hurts. Bad. It can also seriously damage the opponent's arm.
As an MMA pro, Rousey has had a total of 14 fights, 12 of which she won. Nine of the twelve were won by submission. Her competitors have seen the other side of her armbar even as an amateur. She locked Hayden Munoz and Taylor Stratford into an armbar in 23 and 24 seconds (respectively). As a pro, she even dislocated an opponent's (Miesha Tate) elbow with that move!
An Homage to Roddy Piper
Late wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper is a WWE legend with multiple championship titles. Ronda has looked up to him for years. When she started her own career, she asked him if she could use "Rowdy" as a nickname as well, and he happily agreed.
Now Rousey is commonly known in the wrestling scene as “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey. In 2015, Piper had a heart attack which resulted in his unfortunate death.