How Ronda Rousey Turned Dana White's "Never" Into Women's UFC
UFC may never have had a women's division if not for the former bantamweight queen Ronda Rousey's bold pitch.
Ronda Rousey needs no introduction. From judo to MMA, 'Rowdy' has never failed to attract an audience and keep it hooked. As one of MMA's biggest crossover stars, Rousey also helped the sport become mainstream. Yet, her greatest contribution may be bringing women's MMA into the UFC, changing the promotion forever.
Ronda Rousey Completely Changed Dana White's Outlook on Women's MMA
When Dana White took over, the UFC had 5 divisions—all men's. In fact, White had initially never planned a women's division, having little faith in its ability to sell tickets. However, the judo Olympic gold medalist completely rewrote that narrative. And she needed just 15 minutes to do that.
In a recent interview with The Diary of a CEO's Steven Bartlett, the UFC boss directly pushed back against the hate Rousey has received in recent years. He recalled getting approached by her at an arena before a conversation kickstarted the women's bantamweight division.
"People want to talk s— about Ronda Rousey now. Let me tell you what. I didn't want women in the UFC. Ronda Rousey grabbed me at an event and said, 'Hey, I'm Ronda Rousey. Can I get 15 minutes with you?' End of the conversation, I'm like, holy s—. I think I'm going to do this, and she's the one to do it with," White revealed.
What really hit White about Rowdy's proposal was the "bravado" with which she carried herself. And the Strikeforce champion backed up every bit of that confidence.
In her UFC debut, Rousey submitted Liz Carmouche with just seconds left in the first round to become the first UFC women's champion. She then defended her title six more times, getting inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018.
Bringing women to the UFC did cement Rousey's place in history, but Dana White believes there's something else that separates her from the rest.
Why McGregor, Khabib & Rousey Belong In Their Own Class
Convincing a combat promoter for a matchup is impressive. But adding a completely new division puts you in a different league. Dana White calls it a superpower. It's not something entirely out of bounds.
When asked about what separates the Conors, the Khabibs, and the Rondas from the rest of MMA, White had a simple response: the ability to sell a vision.
"The number one factor in this business, can you fight? How good are you? Number two is this mentality of manifesting and just sitting there, and you're telling me what you're going to do and how it's going to happen and how it's all going to play out."
Across 25 years, the UFC boss has only had a few such conversations that changed his mind. And Ronda Rousey's proposal might just be one of the most significant.
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