Ronda Rousey helped make MMA mainstream. She broke down barriers and brought women’s MMA to new heights. That was over ten years ago.
Now, Rousey returns to MMA for the first time since 2016 to take on Gina Carano, another trailblazer. Neither woman has competed in years, but both will use their experience to attempt to entertain and earn a win.
A lot has changed since Rousey first started competing. With this being her last fight, a motivated Rousey is ready to prove doubters wrong while also attempting to regain her passion for the sport.
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“I think I want to be able to change all my prior negative associations that I had in MMA,” Rousey told CBS Mornings via MMA Fighting. “I think everything just kind of got convoluted and it became about so many other things I had I feel like the world on my shoulders and I’d lost sight of what I’d really loved about martial arts.
“I think that getting back to it and making joy in the process the priority has been the best decision I’ve ever made besides marrying my husband.”
Here’s a breakdown of her career, from when she started to how old she will be when returning to the cage.
How old is Ronda Rousey?
Ronda Rousey is 39. She was born on February 1, 1987 in California.
Rousey began judo at 11, and at 17, Rousey was the youngest judoka to qualify for the 2004 Olympics in Athens. “Rowdy” Ronda retired from judo at 21 after winning bronze at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Ronda Rousey career timeline
Rousey started her amateur career in 2010 and turned pro a year later, beating her opponent at a King of the Cage event in 25 seconds.
Rousey joined Strikeforce in 2011, beating Julia Budd before facing Miesha Tate in 2012. Tate was submitted in the first round, and Rousey became the Strikeforce bantamweight champion.
In November 2012, Rousey became the first female fighter to sign with the UFC and was automatically crowned the UFC bantamweight champion. She defended the title multiple times, beating her rival Tate, along with Liz Carmouche and Cat Zingano. Only one fight made it out of the first round.
Rousey became one of the most popular athletes in the world during that time. However, it all came to a halt when Holly Holm, a former boxer and kickboxer, beat Rousey, knocking her out at UFC 193 in 2015.
After the loss, Rousey disappeared, not returning until facing Amanda Nunes in 2016 for the title. The fight lasted less than a minute, with Nunes using strikes to knock Rousey out. It was a one-sided affair.
That was the last we saw of Rousey in the octagon. While she would later enter the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018, Rousey wouldn’t return to the cage until her 2026 fight against Carano.
Before the Carano fight, Rousey competed in WWE, becoming a three-time women’s champion, a tag team champion with fellow former MMA star Shayna Baszler as well as a Royal Rumble winner.
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