100 of the Most Influential Women in Sport >> Athletes

Ronda Rousey, USA

MMA/Wrestling

Ronda Rousey is a trailblazer. No matter where you look over the course of her career, she has been ripping up the rule book, breaking down barriers and turning stereotypes on their head. From the early stages of her athletic career, when she fought the Judo establishment in the US to thrive in a sport where her face didn’t fit, Rousey has extolled one key virtue – never take ‘no’ for an answer. The epitome of this is her time in MMA. Women were never supposed to be in the UFC, however it was Rousey’s excellence and persistence that made it impossible for the company’s president Dana White to omit them. It’s no exaggeration to say that without Rousey, women’s opportunities in MMA doesn’t exist as they do today.

– At 17-years-of-age Ronda was the youngest Judoka at the 2004 Athens Olympics, she would go on to win a bronze medal four years later in Beijing.

– Rousey was undefeated for two and a half years in the UFC, she ended her MMA career with 12 wins from her 14 fights – all via stoppage, with only three fighters making it out of the first minute.

– Despite no longer being active in MMA, Rousey is now a superstar in the world of WWE and will become the first woman to headline their biggest event of the year Wrestlemania this April.

Did you know…

Rousey has not only been facing fights inside the cage, she suffered severe speech difficulties as a child as a result of apraxia. This affected her education, and she dropped out of high school early pursuing a career in sport where her talents could speak for themselves.

“If you can’t dream big, ridiculous dreams, what’s the point in dreaming at all?” – Ronda Rousey

Twitter: @RondaRousey

Instagram: rondarousey