Ronda Rousey

Ronda Rousey is a prominent figure in combat sports, known as an Olympic medalist, UFC competitor, WWE champion, actress, and bestselling author. Rousey began her athletic career in judo, making her Olympic debut with the U.S. judo team in Athens. At 17, she became the youngest judoka at the Olympic Games and won a gold medal at the World Junior Judo Championships in Budapest. She later became the first U.S. female in nearly a decade to win an A-Level tournament, claiming gold at the World Cup in Great Britain. After defending her Pan American Judo Championship title, Rousey became the first American woman in 12 years to earn a World Championship medal and went on to win gold at the Pan American Games despite a knee injury. The pinnacle of her judo career was becoming the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in judo, earning bronze at the Summer Olympics. She holds a fourth-degree black belt in the martial art.

After retiring from judo, Rousey transitioned to mixed martial arts, quickly establishing herself in the MMA world. She joined Glendale Fighting Club and made her amateur MMA debut with a victory by armbar in 23 seconds, followed by two more amateur wins via armbar submission. After turning professional, she secured four consecutive wins in under a minute each. Rousey joined Strikeforce, becoming its last Women's Bantamweight Champion, and was the first female fighter signed by UFC, competing in the promotion's inaugural women's bout and becoming its first Women's Bantamweight Champion. She defended the championship six consecutive times, setting a record for most title defenses by a female fighter in UFC history. Rousey became the first mixed martial artist to win an ESPY Award and was recognized by ESPN with the ESPY for Best Female Athlete and Best Fighter. Sports Illustrated featured her as World's Most Dominant Athlete. She was also voted the best female athlete of all time in an ESPN fan poll, and Fox Sports described her as one of the defining athletes of the 21st century.

Rousey's impact extends beyond MMA. She became the first female fighter inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. She later joined World Wrestling Entertainment as a full-time professional wrestler, quickly earning a championship at SummerSlam and headlining the first all-women's pay-per-view event, Evolution. Rousey became a three-time women's champion, a tag team champion, and a Royal Rumble winner. She is the only woman to become a champion in both UFC and WWE, as well as the only woman to headline a pay-per-view event in both organizations. In 2026, Rousey made a remarkable return to mixed martial arts after a 9.5-year hiatus, securing a swift victory over Gina Carano by armbar submission in just 17 seconds during Netflix's first MMA broadcast.

In addition to her sports achievements, Rousey has established a presence in entertainment and publishing. She has appeared in films including "The Expendables 3," "Furious 7," and "Mile 22," and published her autobiography, "My Fight / Your Fight." Rousey is a New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author and is among the most-followed female athletes on social media. She hosted "Rowdy's Places" on ESPN+, a limited series exploring the global impact of combat sports. Rousey's journey, from overcoming a childhood speech disorder to achieving success in judo, MMA, WWE, and entertainment, positions her as a significant figure in sports and media.