She was the first American woman to win anOlympic medal in judo by winning bronze at the2008 Summer Olympics.Lynn Roethke had previously won a silver medal in the 1988 Olympics, but her medal was not counted toward the US medal count due to Women's Judo being a demonstration sport. Rousey began her mixed martial arts (MMA) career withKing of the Cage in 2011. She soon joinedStrikeforce, becoming their lastWomen's Bantamweight Champion, holding the championship until Strikeforce was acquired by the UFC.[16] Rousey was part of the UFC's first female fight atUFC 157, was their inauguralWomen's Bantamweight Champion, and held the record for most UFC title defenses (6) by a female, until being surpassed byValentina Shevchenko in 2022.[17][18][19][20] Rousey retired from MMA in 2016 and was the first female fighter inducted into theUFC Hall of Fame in 2018.[21]
Rousey is the only woman to become a champion in both the UFC and WWE as well as the only woman to headline a pay-per-view event in both companies.[23] She was voted the best female athlete of all time in a 2015 ESPN fan poll, andFox Sports described her as "one of the defining athletes of the 21st century."[24][25][26][27] Rousey has also appeared in films, includingThe Expendables 3 (2014),[28]Furious 7 (2015),[29] andMile 22 (2018),[30] and published herautobiography,My Fight / Your Fight, in 2015.[31]
Ronda Jean Rousey was born inRiverside, California[32][33] on February 1, 1987, the youngest of three daughters ofAnnMaria De Mars (née Waddell) and Ronald John Rousey,[34] after whom she was named.[35] Her mother, a decoratedjudoka, was the first American to win aWorld Judo Championship (in1984, asAnnMaria Burns). Her father worked for a manufacturing company, was a member of theSociety for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering, and prior to his death had been awarded a patent for apolice protective shield.[36] Rousey is of English, Polish, Venezuelan, Trinidadian, and Canadian ancestry.[37] One of her maternal great-grandfathers,Alfred Waddell, was a Trinidadian doctor who immigrated to Canada and became one of the first black physicians in North America, while a maternal great-grandmother was born inCaracas, Venezuela.[38][39] Her stepfather is anaerospace engineer.[40] When Rousey was eight years old, her biological father, who had broken his back while sledding with his kids, died by suicide.[35][41] AnnMaria pursued aPhD in educational psychology at theUniversity of California, Riverside as her daughters grew up.[35][42]
For the first six years of her life, Rousey struggled with speech and could not form an intelligible sentence due toapraxia, a neurological childhood speech sound disorder.[43] This speech disorder was attributed to being born with her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. When Rousey was three years old, her mother and father moved from Riverside, California, toJamestown, North Dakota, to obtain intensive speech therapy with specialists atMinot State University.[44][45] Rousey dropped out of high school and later earned herGED.[46] She was raised between Jamestown andSouthern California, retiring from her judo career at 21 and starting her MMA career at 22 when she realized that she did not want to spend her life in a conventional field of work.[47]
In April 2006, she became the first female U.S. judoka in nearly 10 years to win an A-Level tournament as she went 5–0 to claim gold at the Birmingham World Cup inGreat Britain. Later that year, the 19-year-old won the bronze medal at the2006 Junior World Championships, becoming the first U.S. athlete to win two Junior World medals.[49]
In August 2008, Rousey competed at the2008 Olympic Games inBeijing, China. She lost her quarterfinal to theDutch ex-world championEdith Bosch but qualified for a bronze medal match through therepechage bracket. Rousey defeatedAnnett Boehm byYuko to win a bronze medal (Judo offers two bronze medals per weight class). With the victory, Rousey became the first American to win an Olympic medal in women's judo since its inception as anOlympic sport in 1992.[51][52] Rousey ultimately compiled a competition judo record of 56 wins and 19 losses.[53]
Rousey retired from judo at 21 after the Olympics. After winning her Olympic medal, Rousey shared a studio apartment with a roommate inVenice Beach, California and worked three jobs as a bartender and cocktail waitress to support herself and her dog.[54]
When Rousey started learning judo, her mother took her to judo clubs run by her old teammates. Rousey went toNorth Hollywood, Los Angeles Hayastan MMA Academy, which was run byGokor Chivichyan, where she trained with fellow future MMA fightersManny Gamburyan andKaro Parisyan. According to Rousey, Hayastan practiced "a more brawling style of judo versus the more technical Japanese style." Rousey trained mostly with males bigger than she was and often got frustrated and cried when she got thrown and could not throw somebody. "Probably from 2002 to 2005 I cried every single night of training," Rousey remarked.[48]
Rousey trained closely with Gamburyan. After Rousey injured her knee when she was 16, Gamburyan volunteered to open the gym every afternoon and work with her personally. Back in 2004, her teammates thought Rousey "would kill these girls" in MMA, but also thought she was "too pretty to get hit in the face" and should keep doing judo. While Gamburyan and Parisyan went into MMA, Rousey stuck with judo but remained in touch with MMA through them. The first MMA fight she took an interest in watching was Manny Gamburyan versusNate Diaz inThe Ultimate Fighter finale. Rousey stated she never got as excited watching judo or any other sport. After the 2008 Olympics the following year, she decided to start MMA through Team Hayastan.[48]
Rousey also trained at theGlendale Fighting Club, to which she was introduced by Gamburyan and other Hayastan teammates. She started training under her long-term MMA coachEdmond Tarverdyan at Glendale Fighting Club.[55]
Rousey made her mixed martial arts debut as an amateur on August 6, 2010. She defeated Hayden Munoz by submission due to an armbar in 23 seconds.[59]
She entered the quarterfinals of the Tuff-N-Uff 145 lbs women's tournament on November 12, 2010, and submitted promotional veteran Autumn Richardson with an armbar in 57 seconds.[60]
Rousey faced Taylor Stratford in the Tuff-N-Uff tournament semi-finals on January 7, 2011, and won by technical submission due to an armbar in 24 seconds. She then announced plans to turn pro and was replaced in the tournament.[61] Rousey has a 3–0 record in amateur MMA competition, and the combined duration of all her amateur fights is under 2 minutes.[47]
Rousey made her professional mixed martial arts debut on March 27, 2011, at King of the Cage: Turning Point. She submittedEdiane Gomes with an armbar in 25 seconds.[59][62]
Rousey faced kickboxing championCharmaine Tweet in an MMA bout at Hard Knocks Fighting Championship: School of Hard Knocks 12 on June 17, 2011, inCalgary, Canada.[63] She submitted Tweet with an armbar in 49 seconds.[64][65]
Rousey was scheduled to make herStrikeforce debut againstSarah D'Alelio on July 30, 2011, atStrikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson inHoffman Estates, Illinois.[66] The fight was postponed and eventually took place on the Strikeforce Challengers 18 main card on August 12, 2011, inLas Vegas, Nevada.[67] Rousey defeated D'Alelio by technical submission due to an armbar early in the first round. The victory was controversial. Rousey claimed that D'Alelio yelled "tap" more than once and that D'Alelio denied this and claimed to have yelled "Aaaahhh". According to the unified rules of mixed martial arts, either one of these utterances would still be a verbal submission.[68]
Rousey facedJulia Budd at Strikeforce Challengers 20 on November 18, 2011, in Las Vegas.[69] She won via submission due to an armbar in the first round, dislocating Budd's elbow in the process. Following the fight, she announced plans to move down to 135 pounds to challengeMiesha Tate, theStrikeforce Women's Bantamweight Champion at the time, with whom she had developed amuch-publicized rivalry.[70][71]
During his appearance onThe Joe Rogan Experience, Rousey's trainer Edmond Tarverdyan said that Rousey started her MMA career in the 145 lb division because she had to be able to make weight at short notice, due to the difficulty of finding willing opponents.[72]
Rousey challenged Tate for her Strikeforce title on March 3, 2012, in Columbus, Ohio. She defeated Tate by submission due to an armbar in the first round, again dislocating her opponent's elbow, to become the new Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Champion.[73][74]
Rousey appeared inAll Access: Ronda Rousey onShowtime. The half-hour special debuted on August 8, 2012.[75] UFC PresidentDana White revealed during the program that "In the next 10 years, if there's a woman in the octagon, it's probably going to be Ronda Rousey."[76] The second installment of the special aired on August 15, 2012.[77] Rousey also appeared onConan.[78]
Rousey defended her strikeforce title againstSarah Kaufman atStrikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman on August 18, 2012, in San Diego, California.[79] Rousey said that she would throw Kaufman's arm at her corner after ripping it off with anarmbar, and threatened to choke or pound Kaufman's face to death.[80] During the fight, Rousey quickly took Kaufman down and submitted her with an armbar in 54 seconds to retain the Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Championship. After the fight, Rousey announced that if former Strikeforce Women's Featherweight ChampionCris Cyborg wanted to fight her, it would have to take place at bantamweight.[81][82][83]
Rousey originally opposed using the nickname her friends gave her, "Rowdy", feeling it would be disrespectful toprofessional wrestler"Rowdy" Roddy Piper. After meeting Piper (circa 2012 or 2013) throughGene LeBell, who helped train both of them, Piper personally gave his approval.[85]
Rousey defended her title againstLiz Carmouche on February 23, 2013, atUFC 157. Despite being caught in an early standing neck crank attempt from Carmouche, Rousey went on to successfully defend her Bantamweight Championship title, winning the fight at 4:49 into the first round by submission due to an armbar.[86] Carmouche dislocated Ronda Rousey's jaw during the fight.[87][88]
Rousey facedMiesha Tate, in a rematch from Strikeforce, atUFC 168 on December 28, 2013. After going past the first two rounds, with Tate surviving an armbar attempt and a triangle attempt, Rousey finally submitted Tate via armbar in the third round to retain her Bantamweight Championship.[89] In an interview withLos Angeles Daily News, Rousey said she had lost muscle during her film commitments and not been able to regain her full strength for the Tate fight.[90]
Rousey defended her UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship against fellow Olympic medalist and undefeated fighterSara McMann in the main event atUFC 170 on February 22, 2014. Rousey won the fight by TKO after knocking down McMann with a knee to the body just over a minute into the first round. This marked Rousey's first career win via a method other than armbar. The stoppage led to controversy, with some sports writers and attendants finding it premature.[91][92][93]
In 2014, Rousey was named one of espnW's Impact 25.[94]
Rousey defended the UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship againstAlexis Davis in the co-main event atUFC 175 on July 5, 2014. She won the fight via knockout 16 seconds into the first round. Rousey broke her thumb during the fight.[95] The emphatic win also earned Rousey her secondPerformance of the Night bonus award.[96]
A match between Rousey andCat Zingano was scheduled to take place atUFC 182 for the women's bantamweight title.[97] However, the fight was moved to February 28, 2015, atUFC 184.[98] Rousey defeated Zingano with an armbar in 14 seconds, the shortest title match in the history of UFC untilConor McGregor defeatedJosé Aldo in 13 seconds 11 months later.[99][100]
Rousey foughtBethe Correia on August 1, 2015, in Brazil, atUFC 190, winning the bout by knockout 34 seconds into the first round.[101] Rousey dedicated the match to "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, who died the day before, commenting that Piper was one of her inspirations and had endorsed her use of his nickname.[102] This fight earned her anotherPerformance of the Night award.[103]
The bout was Rousey's sixth with the UFC, all of which had been victories. She spent 1077 seconds in the octagon to attain all six and accumulated $1,080,000 in prize money; this equated to nearly $1002.79 for every second spent fighting.[104][105] Her average time of 2 minutes and 59 seconds was less than the average time of a single match in every UFC weight class, the fastest of which was the Heavyweight division with a time of 7 minutes and 59 seconds.[106]
In her seventh title defense, Rousey facedHolly Holm in the main event atUFC 193 on November 15, 2015.[107] Despite being a heavy betting favorite, Rousey was out struck by Holm for most of the bout, and was knocked out with a kick to the neck in round two, losing her title and undefeated streak in the process. After the fight, Rousey and Holm were each awarded aFight of the Night bonus of $50,000.[108] She was also medically suspended by UFC on November 18, 2015.[109] She was medically cleared on December 9, 2015.[110] The loss to Holm impacted Rousey significantly. Upon her return to the United States after the fight, she hid her face from the paparazzi with a purple pillow.[111] In a February 16, 2016, appearance onThe Ellen DeGeneres Show, Rousey stated that she considered suicide in the immediate aftermath of her head kick KO defeat to Holm.[112] This fight earned her anotherFight of the Night award.[113]
After over a year away from the sport, Rousey returned to face championAmanda Nunes on December 30, 2016, in the main event atUFC 207.[114] Rousey lost the fight via TKO early in round one.[115]
Although she did not formally announce her retirement, when asked if she would fight MMA again by Ellen DeGeneres in 2018, Rousey replied, "I think it's just as likely as me going back to another Olympics for judo."[116] She was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in July 2018.
While some fighters strike an impassive pose … Rousey is nothing if not expressive. She smiles often, squinting so tightly that her eyes disappear. She cries easily, a girlhood habit she never outgrew. And before each fight, she glares at her opponent as if she were getting ready to put a permanent end to a lifelong feud. After the fight, she is all smiles again, and usually unblemished.
In a 2012 interview[117] before her first match withMiesha Tate, Rousey said: "When I was doing judo my main advantage was my conditioning and my pace; I used to wear people out." She had taken to heart a quote fromRyoko Tani to fight every five seconds as if it was the last five seconds of the match.
A decorated judoka, Rousey typically grounds an opponent withhip throws andsweeps, then seeks to finish with strikes or submissions.[118][119] From top position, she usually attacks with punches fromside control; in rear position, she often secures aback mount and attacks with head strikes.[120][121][122] Rousey is right-handed, but is a left-handed judoka fighting in an orthodox stance as a striker.[123]
Rousey's favorite MMA fighter isFedor Emelianenko, whose fighting style she works to emulate.[124]
Rousey is well known for her skill in grappling and is particularly noted for her string of victories byarmbar. Against accomplished strikers, such as Julia Budd and Sarah Kaufman, Rousey has typically brought the fight down and sought a quick submission.[119][125] Only powerful grapplers, such as Miesha Tate and Liz Carmouche, have been competitive with Rousey on the ground.[118][120]
During early fights in her MMA career, Rousey mainly used striking to set up judo. She became a more proficient striker following her UFC debut, leading to her first wins by way of stoppage. While standing, Rousey normally usesjabs,knees, andoverhand rights.[126][127] She seldom stood side on with a set boxing stance, but would square up to the opponent, while still generating strong striking power, especially when near the fence, or clinching opponents with the left hand to close the distance.[128]
While discussing her signature armbar in an interview, Rousey noted that her judoka mother jumped on her every morning to wake her up with armbars.[129]
Rousey is notable for introducingtrash talking to women's MMA. In many interviews Rousey has used harsh language and openly downplayed the abilities of her opponents, which she explains as a way to generate more publicity for the sport.[130][131]
The Four Horsewomen were acknowledged on camera and commentary as such, in the front row atWWE'sSummerSlam event on August 17, 2014. The group also went backstage during the event, meetingPaul Heyman, among others.[133] Rousey was interviewed by WWE.com that night; when asked if she, likeBrock Lesnar, would cross over to wrestling, she replied: "You never know".[134]
AtWrestleMania 31 on March 29, 2015, the Four Horsewomen were seated in the front row. During an in-ring argument betweenThe Rock andThe Authority (Stephanie McMahon andTriple H), McMahon slapped The Rock and ordered him to leave "her ring". She taunted him, saying he would not hit a woman. He left, paused and walked over to Rousey to a loud ovation. He then helped her into the ring and said that she would be happy to hit McMahon for him. After a staredown, The Rock attacked Triple H. When he stumbled toward Rousey, she tossed him out of the ring. McMahon tried to slap her, was blocked and Rousey grabbed her arm, teasing an armbar, before throwing her out of the ring. Rousey and The Rock celebrated in the ring, while The Authority retreated with the implication of revenge.[135] The segment was replayed and discussed throughout the next night'sRaw with the commentators hyping atweet Rousey made earlier that day, in which she implied a return to WWE with "We're just gettin' started...".[136]
On July 13, 14, and September 12, 2017, the Horsewomen appeared in the audience of theMae Young Classic to support their compatriot Shayna Baszler, who was making her WWE debut in the tournament. Additionally, during the event, all four Horsewomen had a face-off withCharlotte Flair,Becky Lynch, andBayley, who, in WWE together withSasha Banks, were also known as the Four Horsewomen, hinting at a possible futurefeud between the two groups.[137][138][139]
Rousey made her in-ring debut atWrestleMania 34, WWE's flagship event, in amixed tag team match pitting Rousey andKurt Angle against Stephanie McMahon and Triple H.[145][146] At WrestleMania on April 8, Rousey submitted McMahon with her trademarkarmbar submission hold to secure the win for her team.[147] Her debut performance was widely praised by both fans and wrestling critics, with wrestling veteranJim Cornette calling it the greatest debut ever.[148][149]The Washington Post noted the positive fan reaction, stating "The match exceeded expectations, with fans firmly behind Rousey" and "[fans were] surprised [at her] high-level coordination and quality of wrestling. Even those who were not agreed the match was entertaining".[150]
In May, she was challenged by then-championNia Jax, setting up Rousey's shot at the Raw Women's Championship at theMoney in the Bank pay-per-view.[151] At the event on June 17, Rousey won the match bydisqualification after interference byAlexa Bliss, who attacked both Rousey and Jax and cashed in herMoney in the Bank contract (which she won earlier that night) to win the title instead.[152][153] For her first singles match and title opportunity, she was once again praised by fans and critics for her performance, withCNET stating "For the first time, [WWE's] biggest mainstream star is a woman".[154][155] They believed that despite "worry was that the match would expose Rousey's own inexperience, which would greatly damage her aura and star power", she "came across as a formidable, believable star wrestler. The match was good, but she was awesome".[154] Throughout the next two months, Rousey would start her firstfeud in WWE with Alexa Bliss over the title, which included a suspension (again inkayfabe) after Rousey attacked Bliss, Angle, and multiple officials.[156][157] After honoring her suspension from in-ring competition, Rousey received a Raw Women's Championship match by Raw general manager Kurt Angle against Bliss atSummerSlam.[158] At the event on August 19, Rouseysquashed Bliss to win the title, her first championship win in WWE.[159] In a rematch between the two that took place a month later on September 16 atHell in a Cell,[160] Rousey once again submitted Bliss to retain the title.[161]
Throughout her championship reign, Rousey went on to fend off title contenders such asNikki Bella (in themain event of the first all women's pay-per-viewEvolution on October 28),[162][163][164]Mickie James,[165] Nia Jax,[166][167]Natalya,[168][169] andSasha Banks.[170][171][172][173] Rousey was supposed to face Becky Lynch at theSurvivor Series pay-per-view in an interbrand champion vs. champion match, but Lynch was legitimately injured during aninvasion angle just minutes after she attacked Rousey backstage.[174] At the event on November 18, Rousey faced Charlotte Flair instead, and won via disqualification after Flair attacked her with a kendo stick and steel chairs.[175] A month later, atTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 16, Rousey gained revenge against both Flair and Lynch as she pushed them off a ladder during their match, also helping Asuka win the SmackDown Women's Championship.[176] Shortly after she retained her title against Bayley on the January 28, 2019, episode ofRaw, Rousey continued her feud with Becky Lynch (who had won the Royal Rumble match) after the latter chose to challenge her in a title match atWrestleMania 35.[177][178][179][180] On the February 11 episode ofRaw,Vince McMahon suspended Lynch for 60 days in storyline and announced Charlotte Flair replaced Lynch as Rousey's WrestleMania opponent.[181] On the March 4 episode ofRaw, Rousey turnedheel when she attacked both Flair and Lynch.[182] AtFastlane on March 10, Lynch faced Flair in a match where if Lynch won, she would be inserted back into the Raw Women's Championship match at WrestleMania. Rousey attacked Lynch during the match, giving Lynch the disqualification victory and thus a WrestleMania triple threat match between Rousey, Flair, and Lynch was made official.[183] On March 25, WWE announced Rousey's title defense against Lynch and Flair would be the main event of WrestleMania 35, making it the first women's match to close WrestleMania.[184] At the event on April 7, in what was changed to aWinner Takes All match for Rousey's Raw and Flair's SmackDown Women's Championships, Lynch controversially pinned Rousey to win both titles. The commentary and production team commented that Rousey was in the ring saying her shoulders were not down for the full three-count and showed a replay of the ending pin-pointing this fact.[185] Nonetheless, this gave Rousey her first loss in WWE and ended her championship reign at 231 days; it would remain the longest reign as Raw Women's Champion until Lynch's own would surpass Rousey's.[186]
On January 29, 2022, at theRoyal Rumble, Rousey returned to WWE as aface, entering at No. 28 in the Women's Royal Rumble match and eliminatingBrie Bella,Nikki A.S.H, andShotzi. She won by last eliminating Charlotte Flair, thus earning a championship match atWrestleMania 38.[187] On the February 4 episode ofSmackDown (her first appearance on theSmackDown brand), Rousey chose to challenge Flair for the SmackDown Women's Championship atWrestleMania 38.[188][189] AtElimination Chamber on February 19, Rousey andNaomi defeated Flair andSonya Deville.[190] Rousey's rift with Flair continued over the next few weeks, and on the first night of WrestleMania 38 on April 2, Flair defeated Rousey to retain the title, ending Rousey's undefeated singles streak and giving Rousey her second loss.[191] On the followingSmackDown, Rousey challenged Flair to an"I Quit" match, which she declined.[192] However, the match was subsequently granted and scheduled forWrestleMania Backlash on May 8,[193] where Rousey defeated Flair to win the title.[194]
On the May 13 episode ofSmackDown, she retained her title againstRaquel Rodriguez in an open challenge.[195] AtMoney in the Bank on July 2, Rousey retained her title against Natalya, but after the match,Liv Morgan successfully cashed in her Money in the Bank contract on Rousey, ending her reign at 55 days.[196] Rousey then challenged Morgan for the title atSummerSlam 2022.[197][198] At the event on July 30, Rousey lost to Morgan in controversial fashion, with Morgan winning by pinfall despite submitting to Rousey's armbar while her shoulders were down. After the match, Rousey attacked Morgan and the referee.[199] As a result of attacking the referee, Rousey was (kayfabe) suspended from WWE.[200] After her suspension was lifted, Rousey won afatal five-way elimination match on the September 9 episode ofSmackDown to earn a rematch against Morgan for the SmackDown Women's Championship atExtreme Rules.[201] The following week, Morgan challenged Rousey to anExtreme Rules match for the title, which Rousey accepted.[202][203] At the event on October 8, Rousey defeated Morgan to win her second SmackDown Women's Championship.[204]
On the October 28 episode ofSmackDown, Rousey retained her title against the returningEmma in an open challenge.[205] AtSurvivor Series: WarGames on November 26, Rousey retained her title against Shotzi with help from Shayna Baszler.[206] On the December 30 episode ofSmackDown, Rousey retained her title against Raquel Rodriguez. After the match, Rousey was confronted by the returning Charlotte Flair, who challenged Rousey to an impromptu title match, which she accepted. Rousey ended up losing the title to Flair in under a minute, ending her second reign at 83 days.[207]
Storyline with Shayna Baszler and first retirement (2023)
After a brief hiatus, Rousey returned on the February 10 episode ofSmackDown to help Shayna Baszler attack Liv Morgan and Tegan Nox, officially beginning an alliance between the two.[208] On Night 2 ofWrestleMania 39, Rousey and Baszler won the women's WrestleMania Showcase fatal four-way tag team match despite Rousey barely being involved in the match due to a fractured elbow.[209] As part of the2023 WWE Draft, Rousey and Baszler were drafted to the Raw brand as a team.[210][211] On the May 29 episode ofRaw, Rousey and Baszler won a fatal four-way tag team match for the vacantWWE Women's Tag Team Championship; Rousey also became the eighthWWE Women's Triple Crown Champion in the process.[212] On the June 23 episode ofSmackDown, Rousey and Baszler defeatedAlba Fyre andIsla Dawn tounify the WWE andNXT Women's Tag Team Championships, with the latter retired in the process.[213] AtMoney in the Bank, Rousey and Baszler lost the tag team title to Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez when Baszler turned on her, ending their reign at 32 days.[214] Rousey lost to Baszler atSummerSlam in an MMA Rules match by technical submission, a match that was panned by fans. This was Rousey's first WWE loss by submission (even though she actually didn't tap out). After the match, it was reported that she was leaving WWE,[215][216] however, this was not confirmed and she was listed on the active roster page on WWE.com until October 28 when she was moved to the alumni section.[217] Just prior on her Instagram on October 11, Rousey said she had retired.[218] During the promotion of her first autobiography, Rousey criticized her time in WWE and Vince McMahon. She also pointed that she retired due the number of concussions she had during her time as an MMA fighter.[219][220]
Independent circuit and second retirement (2023–2025)
On October 26, 2023, Rousey came out of retirement, teaming with Marina Shafir to defeat her trainerBrian Kendrick andTaya Valkyrie at aLucha VaVoom event.[221][222] On October 28, Wrestling Revolver (REVOLVER) announced that Rousey would be making her REVOLVER debut on November 16 at their Unreal event inLos Angeles, California. At the event, she and Shafir wrestled the team ofAthena andBillie Starkz to a no contest. The following night during theROH Honor Club TV tapings, Rousey made herRing of Honor (ROH) debut, where she and Shafir defeated Athena and Starkz in a rematch.[223]
In September 2025, Rousey confirmed that she had officially retired from professional wrestling.[224]
Rousey appeared nude on the cover ofESPN The Magazine's 2012Body Issue and in a pictorial therein.[226] In May 2013, Rousey was ranked 29 on theMaxim Hot 100.[227] She also appeared on the cover and in a pictorial of the September 2013 issue.
In 2015, Rousey became the first woman featured on the cover ofAustralian Men's Fitness, appearing on their November edition.[228]
Rousey was on the cover of the January 2016 issue forThe Ring magazine. She became the first mixed martial artist to ever appear on the cover of the boxing magazine and the second woman as well, afterCathy Davis in 1978.[229] In February 2016, she appeared inbody paint as one of three cover athletes on the cover of theSports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.[230]
Rousey co-starred inThe Expendables 3 (2014), marking her first role in a major motion picture.[28] In 2015, she appeared in the filmFurious 7, and played herself in the filmEntourage.[29][231]
In October 2015, Rousey became the first female athlete to guest host ESPN'sSportsCenter.[232]
Rousey appeared in the Season 2, Episode 20 episode ofBlindspot playing the role of Devon Penberthy, a prison inmate serving time for transporting weapons across state lines.[235]
A number of starring film roles have been developed for Rousey, including an adaptation of her autobiography,My Fight / Your Fight, at Paramount,[236]The Athena Project atWarner Bros.,[236] thePeter Berg-directed action filmMile 22.[237] Rousey was scheduled to star in a remake of the 1989Patrick Swayze action dramaRoad House.Road House would have marked her biggest acting job to date. According toVariety, Rousey reached out to Swayze's widow,Lisa Niemi, to ask for her blessing, which Niemi gave.[238] However, theRoad House project was cancelled in 2016.[239]
On August 18, 2019, it was revealed that Rousey is appearing as a recurring character Lena Bosko in the third season of Fox's9-1-1 series.[240] During her first day of shooting, she injured two fingers after her left hand was jammed in a boat door. The tip of her ring finger was fractured while her middle finger was broken with the tendon nearly severed. Rousey was rushed to the hospital, where her middle finger was mended with a metal plate and screws.[241]
In September 2021, Rousey hostedRowdy's Places on ESPN+. This ten-episode limited series saw Ronda speak with experts within the worlds of MMA, wrestling, boxing and more to uncover why combat sports have been a global sensation for a millennium.[242]
On January 17, 2019, it was confirmed that Rousey would be voicingSonya Blade in the video gameMortal Kombat 11.[250] On February 18, 2020, Rousey announced her first stream on Facebook Gaming and donated all stream profits to charity.[251] On November 30, 2022, Rousey was added as a playable character to the gameRaid: Shadow Legends.[252]
Inspired by her need to travel while recovering from an injury she sustained during WrestleMania, Rousey wrote the graphic novelExpecting the Unexpected. It was published in October 2025 byAWA Studios, with art byMike Deodato.[253]
Rousey became avegan after Beijing 2008,[255][256] but in 2012 described her diet as "kind of a mix between aPaleo and a Warrior diet."[257]
Rousey has discussed how she struggled with her body image in the past. She explained,
When I was in school, martial arts made you a dork, and I became self-conscious that I was too masculine. I was a 16-year-old girl withringworm andcauliflower ears. People made fun of my arms and called me "Miss Man". It wasn't until I got older that I realized: these people are idiots. I'm fabulous.[258]
In January 2013, Rousey posted a video to herTwitter page advocating aconspiracy theory surrounding the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which had occurred the month prior, stating in her caption that the video was "extremely interesting" and a "must-watch". After receiving criticism from the general public, Rousey deleted the video and posted another tweet saying that "asking questions and doing research is more patriotic than blindly accepting what you're told." Rousey's manager later issued a public apology for Rousey's posts surrounding the shooting.[259][260] Rousey issued an apology in 2024.[261]
Rousey once dated fellow UFC fighterBrendan Schaub.[266] In August 2015, Rousey was rumored to be in a relationship with UFC fighterTravis Browne, who knocked out Schaub in a bout the previous year, after a picture of the two together appeared onTwitter and Browne's estranged wife Jenna Renee Webb accused the two of seeing one another. Browne was at the time still married and under investigation by the UFC after Webb publicly accused him of domestic violence in July 2015.[267] Browne confirmed he and Rousey were together in October 2015.[268] The next day, Rousey revealed that she was dating Browne.[269]Rousey and Browne got engaged on April 20, 2017, in New Zealand[270] and married on August 28, 2017, in Browne's home state of Hawaii.[271] On April 21, 2021, Rousey announced on her official YouTube channel that she was four months pregnant with her first child.[272][273] On September 27, 2021, Rousey gave birth to a girl named La’akea Makalapuaokalanipō Browne.[274] On July 25, 2024, Rousey announced that she is expecting her second child with Browne.[275] On January 9, 2025, Rousey gave birth to second child, a girl named Liko’ula Pā’ūomahinakaipiha Browne.[276]
In her autobiography,My Fight / Your Fight, Rousey wrote of an incident with a former boyfriend she dubbed "Snappers McCreepy" after she discovered that he had taken nude photos of her without her consent or knowledge, two weeks before her first fight with Miesha Tate. When a seething Rousey met him, she "slapped him across the face so hard [her] hand hurt". According to Rousey, he then refused to let her leave as he was trying to explain, so she attacked his face with two punches, one more slap, one knee, then "tossed him aside on the kitchen floor". She went to her car and he followed, grabbing the steering wheel, so she "dragged him out onto the sidewalk, and left him writhing there". Rousey deleted the photos and erased his hard drive, but fear that the pictures may still be out there influenced her to pose forESPN magazine'sBody Issue so that nude pictures of her would be seen on her own terms.[277][278][279][280] Rousey faced criticism from some who thought she had committed domestic abuse.[281]
^Meltzer, Dave (February 2023). "February 2023 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Results of the 2022 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards".Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
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