Ronda Rousey

Ronda Jean Rousey, born on February 1, 1987, in Riverside County, California, is a multi-talented athlete and entertainer who has made significant impacts in judo, mixed martial arts (MMA), and professional wrestling[1][4].

## Early Life and Judo Career

Rousey faced early challenges, being born with an umbilical cord wrapped around her neck that damaged her vocal cords, leading to speech difficulties until age six[1][7]. Encouraged by her mother, AnnMaria DeMars, a 7th-degree black belt and 1984 World Judo Champion, Rousey took up judo at a young age[1][7].

Her judo career was impressive:

- Youngest judoka in the 2004 Olympic Games at age 17

- Gold medalist at the 2004 World Junior Judo Championships

- First U.S. female in nearly a decade to win an A-Level tournament in 2006

- Bronze medalist at the 2008 Olympic Games, becoming the first American to win an Olympic medal in women's judo since its introduction as an Olympic sport in 1992[1][7]

## MMA Career

After her Olympic success, Rousey transitioned to MMA in 2010[7]. Her career highlights include:

- Debut in King of the Cage, winning in just 23 seconds[8]

- Becoming the last Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Champion

- First female fighter in UFC and inaugural Women's Bantamweight Champion

- Part of UFC's first female fight at UFC 157

- Held the record for most UFC title defenses (6) by a female until 2022

- Inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018, the first female fighter to receive this honor[1][4]

## Professional Wrestling Career

In 2018, Rousey began her professional wrestling career with WWE:

- Debuted at WrestleMania 34

- Won the Raw Women's Championship at SummerSlam 2018

- Headlined WWE's first all-women's pay-per-view event, Evolution

- Participated in the first women's WrestleMania main event at WrestleMania 35

- Won the SmackDown Women's Championship twice

- Became the eighth Women's Triple Crown Champion

- Left WWE in October 2023 and began wrestling on the independent circuit[4]

## Acting and Other Ventures

Rousey has appeared in several films, including "The Expendables 3" (2014), "Furious 7" (2015), and "Mile 22" (2018)[4]. She also published her autobiography, "My Fight / Your Fight," in 2015[4].

## Achievements and Recognition

- Voted the best female athlete of all time in a 2015 ESPN fan poll

- Only woman to be champion in both UFC and WWE

- Only woman to headline a pay-per-view event in both UFC and WWE

- Described by Fox Sports as "one of the defining athletes of the 21st century"[4]

Ronda Rousey's career is marked by groundbreaking achievements across multiple disciplines, cementing her status as one of the most influential female athletes of her generation[4].

Citations:

[1] https://www.empireonline.com/people/ronda-rousey/

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o07elRvaQ-Y

[3] https://kids.kiddle.co/Ronda_Rousey

[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronda_Rousey

[5] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xeo7OpqFyNI

[6] https://www.biography.com/athletes/ronda-rousey

[7] https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3313925/bio/

[8] https://itrwrestling.com/bio/ronda-rousey/

[9] https://www.foxsports.com/wwe/ronda-rousey-superstar-bio