Here Are Two Things You Probably Didn’t Know About This WWE Diva

The UFC was ruled by the male gender for the first 20 years of its existence. The closest any female got to the octagon was the scantily clad ring girls who held up the signs to indicate which round it was. All that changed in 2013, when Dana White finally saw the light and realized that there were some serious female fighters out there, all looking for UFC glory. Enter Ronda Rousey. The blond bombshell and former Olympic medalist in Judo who also packs a helluva punch. She was 6-0 when she came to the UFC, and was immediately declared UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion (without even fighting). With Anderson Silva and Georges St. Pierre badly injured and possibly retired, and Brock Lesnar back in the WWE, the UFC is pushing Rousey hard into the mainstream consciousness as their next big star. Here are two things you probably didn’t know about “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey.

2. Olympic Medalist

Rousey won a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing in Judo, becoming the first American woman to medal in the sport. She also has a silver and gold medal from the 2007 World Championships and Pan American Games, respectively. Her judo skills are frequently on display in the octagon, as she often used amazing judo throws to take down her opponents. It should be no surprise either, as her mother was also a decorated judo fighter.

1. First Women’s Champion

She won her first MMA championship in March of 2012, defeating Misha Tate for the (now defunct) Strikeforce Bantamweight title. When Strikeforce was purchased by the UFC, Dane White immediately declared her the UFC champion, making history as the first Women’s champion in the organizations history. She is also responsible for White changing his mind about the inclusion of female fighters in the UFC, something that had never been done in its 20 year history. Including her time in Strikefore, she has defended the belt four times.
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