Ronda Rousey has just defended her title against the brash Brazilian, Bethe Correia. The way the UFC brass made it sound, you would think this fight would be the most intense, and taxing bout Rousey has ever had in her Mixed Martial Arts career. The fight, however, ended in just 34-seconds with Ronda winning by a clean cold knockout.
Ronda Rousey: Fighter, Woman and MMA Incarnate
Many fans were in the corner of Rousey going into the fight. It was a little far-fetched to believe that Correia could dethrone Rousey as easily as she claimed. While Correia did come into the contest on a three-fight UFC run, the Brazilian only held wins over non-ranked fighters including Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke, and Julie Kedzie. Bethe was ranked #10 in the women’s bantamweight division at the time of her fight with Baszler and shot up to #5 prior to her fight with Ronda.
As expected Ronda was able to dispose of her easily yet not in the way probably most envisioned. The fight never once made it to the ground (excluding the moment Correia hit the canvas of course) and both women kept the fight standing for all of the 34-seconds. Ronda was able to show that even though she is known for her famous armbar, she can win the fight wherever it may take place and that she is not only the most dominant female fighter on the planet but that she embodies everything that MMA has evolved towards as a sport.
As most casual fans by now know, Rousey is the reigning UFC’s Women’s Bantamweight Champion and the most dominant women’s fighter on this planet. Her name has become synonymous with a vicious armbar, action film roles, and runway model beauty, yet, it’s almost weird to think that all this makes up a person such as Ronda herself. She carries herself with pride and honor every time she steps either to the Octagon or to a media day press conference. Women and men alike look up to her as a role model and inspiration, breaking any sense of the old idea of “Women can’t fight” some people had with the introduction of a women’s division. Is it just how easy she makes a professional fight look? Or is there more to this one individual that captures the attention of everyone who catches her promoting a mobile phone game?
For most fans, Rousey became a household name when she was set to face Liz Carmouche at UFC 157. Being the very first women’s fight in the UFC, this fight was being promoted with all of the UFC’s might as they wanted the world to know that the largest MMA promotion was about to finally incorporate a woman’s division. All the promos and ads talked about how the UFC was to make history with these two warriors meet. For Ronda, her highlights included her signature judo throws and her armbars from her dominant fights against Sarah Kaufman and rival Miesha Tate while in Strikeforce. It was here that she was known for her world famous armbar and her track record proved it with all 6 professional wins coming by way of armbar in the very first round. It was almost impossible for one person to be this good and the UFC knew they had a star for not only their brand new women’s division but for their entire organization and MMA as a whole.
Following her submission win over Carmouche (and yes it was an armbar) she was to face rival Miesha Tate at UFC 168. Heading into this fight Miesha Tate told the world what she thought of Rousey as she claimed her to be “delusional, pretty cocky and pretty arrogant.” Their second meeting would prove to be just what the Women’s MMA world was in need of, a fight where both women stood their ground and fought to prove that they belonged on this stage. The winning effort from Rousey delivered one of the best title fights in UFC history as well a Fight of the Year performance, helping both women gather a following with casual viewers and propelling Women’s MMA ever further into popularity.
With a growing fan base, Rousey’s popularity skyrocketed and led more people to tune into her next three fights. Ronda delivered with her next three victories over Sara McMann, Alexis Davis, and Cat Zingano with all fights ending in the first round at times of 1:06, 0:16, and 0:14 respectively. These fights gave fans a reason to see her even more desperately. They wanted to see the carnage she brought and how seemingly easy she made these victories seem. Many publications claimed her to be the Mike Tyson of MMA, they touted how whether it was men or women opponents, no one in the world stood a chance with Rowdy Ronda Rousey. She became a hit star to the public, landing film roles in The Expendables 3, Furious 7, and Entourage, she appeared in Sports Illustrated, ESPN magazines and even took to WWE for a short stint with The Rock. This woman became the face of the UFC in a matter of two short years and there was/is no sign of that growth stopping.
Her fighting style is just as beautiful as anything else she works towards outside the Octagon. Her level of judo is world class and her throws are some of the most popular and even the most recreated from fans and amateur martial artists alike. Her striking has evolved as she has progressed as a fighter, picking up her first non-submission win over Sara McMann with a knee to the body securing her 3rd title defense. She showed that while she does have a strong armbar and feared judo throws, she is able to compete on the feet in the ever-evolving world of MMA. While most people could argue that a “one trick pony” like Rousey at the time could be beaten on the feet, she threw that option out the window, showing that she could not just trade with others, but win without the fight even having to go to the mat. This small factor of her, this wanting to evolve with the times, shows how Rousey is what MMA represents, the coming together of different styles to culminate into the best fighter on the planet.
Ronda has done something only perhaps the like of Conor McGregor is able to do as well, bring MMA into the mainstream with not only her performances in the cage but with a sense of pride as well as popularity in all endeavors outside of the UFC. She has not only done so much for the Women’s MMA community by bringing credibility to women as fighters but has shown that fighters above all else, are athletes that are dedicated to being the best they can be. Yes, Ronda Rousey is a fighter, she is a role model, an athlete and a star in the world of social media, but above all else, Ronda Rousey is what MMA asks from everyone competing, the best person one is able to be. She not only embodies the competitiveness of it all, but the will and desire to strive towards becoming the best of the best and she continues to dominate a division she has brought into the spotlight.
