Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Ronda Rousey
How Ronda Rousey built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Ronda Rousey is a prominent American figure known for her achievements in both mixed martial arts and professional wrestling. She gained widespread recognition for her dominant run in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she was the inaugural Women's Bantamweight Champion. Later, she transitioned to professional wrestling, becoming a notable performer in WWE. Beyond her athletic career, Rousey has also ventured into acting, further solidifying her presence in the entertainment industry.
1978: Cathy Davis appeared on The Ring magazine cover
In 1978, Cathy Davis was the second woman that ever appeared on the cover of The Ring magazine.
2004: Olympic Qualification and World Judo Juniors Championship
In 2004, at 17, Ronda Rousey was the youngest judoka to qualify for the Olympic Games in Athens, where she lost her first match. Also in 2004, she won a gold medal at the World Judo Juniors Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
April 2006: Birmingham World Cup Gold Medal
In April 2006, Ronda Rousey became the first female U.S. judoka in nearly 10 years to win an A-Level tournament, claiming gold at the Birmingham World Cup in Great Britain with a 5-0 record.
February 2007: Ranked Among Top Three and Move to 70 kg
In February 2007, Ronda Rousey moved up to 70 kg in judo, where she was ranked as one of the top three women in the world.
August 2008: 2008 Olympic Games
In August 2008, Ronda Rousey competed at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, ultimately winning a bronze medal in judo.
2008: Decision to start MMA after Olympics
After the 2008 Olympics, Ronda Rousey decided to start MMA through Team Hayastan.
2008: Olympic Bronze Medal
In 2008, Ronda Rousey won a bronze medal in judo at the Summer Olympics, becoming the first American woman to achieve this.
August 6, 2010: Amateur MMA Debut
On August 6, 2010, Ronda Rousey made her mixed martial arts debut as an amateur and defeated Hayden Munoz by submission due to an armbar in 23 seconds.
November 12, 2010: Tuff-N-Uff Tournament Quarterfinals
On November 12, 2010, Ronda Rousey entered the quarterfinals of the Tuff-N-Uff 145 lbs women's tournament, submitting Autumn Richardson with an armbar in 57 seconds.
January 7, 2011: Tuff-N-Uff Tournament Semi-Finals and Pro Turn Announcement
On January 7, 2011, Ronda Rousey faced Taylor Stratford in the Tuff-N-Uff tournament semi-finals and won by technical submission due to an armbar in 24 seconds. Following this victory, she announced her plans to turn professional and was subsequently replaced in the tournament.
March 27, 2011: Professional MMA Debut
On March 27, 2011, Ronda Rousey made her professional mixed martial arts debut at King of the Cage: Turning Point, where she submitted Ediane Gomes with an armbar in 25 seconds.
June 17, 2011: Victory over Charmaine Tweet
On June 17, 2011, Ronda Rousey faced kickboxing champion Charmaine Tweet in an MMA bout at Hard Knocks Fighting Championship: School of Hard Knocks 12 in Calgary, Canada. She submitted Tweet with an armbar in 49 seconds.
August 12, 2011: Strikeforce Debut Victory Over Sarah D'Alelio
On August 12, 2011, Ronda Rousey made her Strikeforce debut on the Strikeforce Challengers 18 main card in Las Vegas, Nevada, defeating Sarah D'Alelio by technical submission due to an armbar early in the first round. The victory was controversial.
November 18, 2011: Victory Over Julia Budd and Championship Challenge Announcement
On November 18, 2011, Ronda Rousey defeated Julia Budd at Strikeforce Challengers 20 in Las Vegas via submission due to an armbar in the first round. After the fight, she announced her plans to move down to 135 pounds to challenge Miesha Tate for the Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Championship.
2011: MMA Career Start
In 2011, Ronda Rousey began her mixed martial arts (MMA) career with King of the Cage. Later she joined Strikeforce.
March 3, 2012: Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Championship
On March 3, 2012, Ronda Rousey challenged Miesha Tate for her Strikeforce title in Columbus, Ohio, defeating Tate by submission due to an armbar in the first round and becoming the new Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Champion.
August 18, 2012: Strikeforce Title Defense against Sarah Kaufman
On August 18, 2012, Ronda Rousey defended her Strikeforce title against Sarah Kaufman at Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman in San Diego, California, retaining the Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Championship with an armbar submission in 54 seconds.
November 2012: Signing with UFC and Inaugural Championship
In November 2012, Ronda Rousey became the first female fighter to sign with the UFC. UFC President Dana White announced that Rousey was the first UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion.
2012: Appeared on the cover of ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue
In 2012, Ronda Rousey appeared nude on the cover of ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue, as well as in a pictorial within the magazine, showcasing her physique.
February 23, 2013: UFC 157: Rousey vs. Carmouche
On February 23, 2013, Ronda Rousey defended her title against Liz Carmouche at UFC 157. She successfully defended her Bantamweight Championship title, winning the fight by submission due to an armbar at 4:49 into the first round. Carmouche dislocated Ronda Rousey's jaw during the fight.
September 2013: Appeared on the cover and in a pictorial of Maxim Magazine
In September 2013, Ronda Rousey appeared on the cover and in a pictorial of Maxim Magazine, further solidifying her status as a prominent figure in pop culture.
December 28, 2013: UFC 168: Rousey vs. Tate Rematch
On December 28, 2013, Ronda Rousey faced Miesha Tate in a rematch from Strikeforce at UFC 168. She submitted Tate via armbar in the third round to retain her Bantamweight Championship.
February 22, 2014: Rousey vs. McMann at UFC 170
On February 22, 2014, Ronda Rousey defended her UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship against Sara McMann at UFC 170. Rousey won the fight by TKO in the first round, marking her first win that wasn't by armbar, though the stoppage was controversial.
July 5, 2014: Rousey vs. Davis at UFC 175
On July 5, 2014, Ronda Rousey defended her UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship against Alexis Davis at UFC 175. Rousey won the fight via knockout in just 16 seconds and broke her thumb during the fight. She also earned a Performance of the Night bonus award.
August 17, 2014: Four Horsewomen at WWE SummerSlam
On August 17, 2014, The Four Horsewomen were acknowledged on camera at WWE's SummerSlam event. Rousey was interviewed by WWE.com, hinting at a potential crossover to wrestling.
February 28, 2015: Rousey vs. Zingano at UFC 184
On February 28, 2015, Ronda Rousey defeated Cat Zingano with an armbar in 14 seconds at UFC 184. This was the shortest title match in UFC history at the time.
March 29, 2015: Rousey's WrestleMania 31 Appearance
On March 29, 2015, Ronda Rousey appeared at WrestleMania 31, confronting Stephanie McMahon and Triple H alongside The Rock. She tossed Triple H out of the ring and teased an armbar on McMahon.
April 2015: Visited Yerevan, Armenia for Armenian Genocide anniversary
In April 2015, Ronda Rousey visited Yerevan, Armenia, for the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, and paid her respects at the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide memorial.
August 1, 2015: Rousey vs. Correia at UFC 190
On August 1, 2015, Ronda Rousey fought Bethe Correia at UFC 190 in Brazil, winning by knockout in 34 seconds. Rousey dedicated the match to "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, who had recently passed away, and earned another Performance of the Night award.
October 2015: Guest hosted ESPN's SportsCenter
In October 2015, Ronda Rousey became the first female athlete to guest host ESPN's SportsCenter, marking a significant achievement in her career.
November 15, 2015: Rousey vs. Holm at UFC 193
On November 15, 2015, Ronda Rousey faced Holly Holm at UFC 193. Rousey lost the fight by knockout in the second round, losing her title and undefeated streak. Both fighters were awarded a Fight of the Night bonus.
November 18, 2015: Rousey medically suspended by UFC
On November 18, 2015, Ronda Rousey was medically suspended by the UFC following her loss to Holly Holm.
December 9, 2015: Rousey medically cleared by UFC
On December 9, 2015, Ronda Rousey was medically cleared by the UFC after her medical suspension.
2015: Appeared in Furious 7 and Entourage
In 2015, Ronda Rousey appeared in the film Furious 7 and played herself in the film Entourage, expanding her presence in the film industry.
2015: Featured on the cover of Australian Men's Fitness
In 2015, Ronda Rousey became the first woman to be featured on the cover of Australian Men's Fitness magazine, appearing on their November edition, marking a significant milestone.
January 2016: Featured on the cover of The Ring magazine
In January 2016, Ronda Rousey was featured on the cover of The Ring magazine. She became the first mixed martial artist to ever appear on the cover of the boxing magazine and only the second woman after Cathy Davis in 1978.
January 23, 2016: Hosted Saturday Night Live
On January 23, 2016, Ronda Rousey hosted an episode of the late-night variety show Saturday Night Live, with Selena Gomez as the musical guest.
February 2016: Appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
In February 2016, Ronda Rousey appeared in body paint as one of three cover athletes on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
December 30, 2016: Rousey vs. Nunes at UFC 207
On December 30, 2016, Ronda Rousey returned to face Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 and lost the fight via TKO in the first round.
2016: Endorsed Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign
In 2016, Ronda Rousey publicly endorsed Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign in the United States presidential election.
2016: Retirement from MMA
In 2016, Ronda Rousey retired from mixed martial arts (MMA).
2016: Road House Remake Project Cancelled
In 2016, the Road House remake project, which was supposed to star Ronda Rousey in her biggest acting role to date, was cancelled. She had received the blessing of Lisa Niemi, Patrick Swayze's widow, for the role.
September 12, 2017: Horsewomen appear at Mae Young Classic
On September 12, 2017, Ronda Rousey and the other Horsewomen appeared at the Mae Young Classic to support Shayna Baszler, and they had a face-off with Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and Bayley, hinting at a future feud.
January 28, 2018: Rousey's Royal Rumble Debut
On January 28, 2018, Ronda Rousey made a surprise appearance at the Royal Rumble, confronting the women's champions. It was announced that she signed a full-time contract with WWE. She wore "Rowdy" Roddy Piper's jacket during the appearance.
July 9, 2018: Confirmed as pre-order bonus character for WWE 2K19
On July 9, 2018, Ronda Rousey was confirmed as one of the two pre-order bonus characters for the video game WWE 2K19, along with wrestling veteran Rey Mysterio, marking another appearance in the WWE 2K franchise.
July 2018: Rousey inducted into UFC Hall of Fame
In July 2018, Ronda Rousey was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
2018: WWE Career Begins
In 2018, Ronda Rousey began her professional wrestling career by signing with WWE and debuting at WrestleMania 34. She later won the Raw Women's Championship at SummerSlam and headlined Evolution.
2018: Induction into UFC Hall of Fame
In 2018, Ronda Rousey was the first female fighter inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
January 17, 2019: Confirmed as the voice of Sonya Blade in Mortal Kombat 11
On January 17, 2019, it was confirmed that Ronda Rousey would be voicing the character Sonya Blade in the video game Mortal Kombat 11.
January 28, 2019: Rousey retains title against Bayley
On January 28, 2019, Ronda Rousey retained her title against Bayley on Raw and continued her feud with Becky Lynch, who had won the Royal Rumble match and would challenge her for the title at WrestleMania 35.
February 18, 2020: Announced first stream on Facebook Gaming
On February 18, 2020, Ronda Rousey announced her first stream on Facebook Gaming and committed to donating all stream profits to charity.
September 2021: Hosted Rowdy's Places on ESPN+
In September 2021, Ronda Rousey hosted Rowdy's Places on ESPN+, a ten-episode limited series where she spoke with experts from MMA, wrestling, boxing, and other combat sports to explore the global appeal of these sports.
January 2022: Among the top 20 richest MMA fighters
In January 2022, Ronda Rousey was recognized as one of the top 20 richest MMA fighters, with a net worth of US$12 million. Notably, she was the only woman included in the top 20 list.
January 29, 2022: Rousey wins Royal Rumble
On January 29, 2022, Ronda Rousey returned to WWE at the Royal Rumble, entering at No. 28 and winning the Women's Royal Rumble match by last eliminating Charlotte Flair.
November 30, 2022: Added as a playable character to Raid: Shadow Legends
On November 30, 2022, Ronda Rousey was added as a playable character to the game Raid: Shadow Legends.
2022: Royal Rumble Win and SmackDown Championship
In 2022, Ronda Rousey returned to WWE, winning the women's Royal Rumble match. She also secured the SmackDown Women's Championship twice during the year.
October 2023: Departure from WWE
In October 2023, Ronda Rousey departed from WWE and began wrestling on the independent circuit.
October 26, 2023: Teamed with Marina Shafir to defeat Brian Kendrick and Taya Valkyrie at Lucha VaVoom
On October 26, 2023, Ronda Rousey came out of retirement and teamed up with Marina Shafir. Together, they defeated Brian Kendrick, who was Rousey's trainer, and Taya Valkyrie at a Lucha VaVoom event.
September 2025: Confirmed retirement from professional wrestling
In September 2025, Ronda Rousey officially confirmed her retirement from professional wrestling, marking the end of that chapter in her career.
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