History of Ronda Rousey in Timeline
Ronda Rousey is an American professional wrestler, actress, and former mixed martial artist and judoka. She gained prominence through her career in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she was a dominant champion, and later transitioned to professional wrestling, becoming a notable figure in WWE. Her achievements in both sports have made her a well-known celebrity.
1978: Cathy Davis Cover in The Ring
In 1978, Cathy Davis appeared on the cover of The Ring magazine, being the first woman to achieve this honor.
1984: Mother's World Judo Championship Win
In 1984, Ronda Rousey's mother, AnnMaria De Mars (then AnnMaria Burns), became the first American to win a World Judo Championship.
February 1, 1987: Ronda Rousey's Birth
On February 1, 1987, Ronda Jean Rousey was born. She is the youngest of AnnMaria De Mars and Ronald John Rousey's three daughters.
1988: Lynn Roethke's Olympic Medal
In the 1988 Olympics, Lynn Roethke won a silver medal, however it was not counted toward the US medal count due to Women's Judo being a demonstration sport.
1989: Release of the original Road House
In 1989, the original Road House movie was released, starring Patrick Swayze.
2002: Began Training at Hayastan MMA Academy
Around 2002, Ronda Rousey began training at Hayastan MMA Academy in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, under Gokor Chivichyan, training alongside future MMA fighters.
2004: Teammates Predicted MMA Success
Back in 2004, Ronda Rousey's judo teammates believed she would excel in MMA but were concerned about her face getting hit.
2004: Olympics and World Judo Juniors Championships
In 2004, Ronda Rousey became the youngest judoka to qualify for the Olympic Games in Athens, where she lost her first match to Claudia Heill. That year, she also won a gold medal at the World Judo Juniors Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
2005: Continued Training at Hayastan MMA Academy
Until 2005, Ronda Rousey continued her judo training at Hayastan MMA Academy, often facing frustration and challenges while training with larger male partners.
April 2006: Birmingham World Cup Gold
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.
February 2007: Ranked Top 3 and Moved Up Weight Class
In February 2007, Ronda Rousey moved up to 70 kg and ranked as one of the top three women in the world. She also won the gold medal at the 2007 Pan American Games.
August 2008: 2008 Olympic Games
In August 2008, Ronda Rousey competed at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, where she won a bronze medal in Judo.
2008: Post-Olympics MMA Interest
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 win an Olympic medal in judo.
2008: Transition to Veganism
Ronda Rousey became a vegan after the Beijing 2008 Olympics.
August 6, 2010: Amateur MMA Debut
On August 6, 2010, Ronda Rousey made her mixed martial arts debut as an amateur, defeating Hayden Munoz by submission due to an armbar in 23 seconds.
November 12, 2010: Tuff-N-Uff Tournament
On November 12, 2010, Ronda Rousey entered the quarterfinals of the Tuff-N-Uff 145 lbs women's tournament and submitted Autumn Richardson with an armbar in 57 seconds.
January 7, 2011: Tuff-N-Uff Tournament Semi-Finals
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. She then announced plans to turn pro.
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, submitting Ediane Gomes with an armbar in 25 seconds.
June 17, 2011: Hard Knocks Fighting Championship Win
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, and submitted Tweet with an armbar in 49 seconds.
July 30, 2011: Scheduled Strikeforce Debut
On July 30, 2011, Ronda Rousey was initially scheduled to make her Strikeforce debut against Sarah D'Alelio, but the fight was postponed.
November 18, 2011: Strikeforce Challengers 20 Victory
On November 18, 2011, Ronda Rousey faced Julia Budd at Strikeforce Challengers 20 in Las Vegas and won via submission due to an armbar, dislocating Budd's elbow. Following the fight, she announced plans to challenge Miesha Tate for the Strikeforce title.
2011: Jiu Jitsu Training
From 2011, Ronda Rousey trained in Jiu Jitsu at Dynamix MMA with Henry Akins.
2011: Began MMA Career
In 2011, Ronda Rousey began her mixed martial arts (MMA) career with King of the Cage.
March 3, 2012: Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Championship
On March 3, 2012, Ronda Rousey challenged Miesha Tate for her Strikeforce title in Columbus, Ohio, and won by submission due to an armbar in the first round, dislocating Tate's elbow, to become the new Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Champion.
August 8, 2012: All Access: Ronda Rousey Debut
On August 8, 2012, Ronda Rousey appeared in "All Access: Ronda Rousey" on Showtime. During the program, UFC President Dana White predicted that Ronda Rousey would be a leading female fighter in the UFC.
August 15, 2012: All Access: Ronda Rousey Second Installment
On August 15, 2012, the second installment of the "All Access: Ronda Rousey" special aired. Rousey also appeared on Conan.
August 18, 2012: Strikeforce Title Defense
On August 18, 2012, Ronda Rousey defended her Strikeforce title against Sarah Kaufman at Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman in San Diego, California. She won by armbar in 54 seconds and retained the Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Championship.
November 2012: Signed with UFC and Inaugural Champion
In November 2012, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) announced that Ronda Rousey had become the first female fighter to sign with the UFC and was the first UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion.
2012: Receiving "Rowdy" Nickname Approval
Around 2012, Ronda Rousey met "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and received his approval to use the "Rowdy" nickname.
2012: Nude Appearance in ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue
In 2012, Ronda Rousey appeared nude on the cover of ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue, along with a pictorial inside the magazine.
2012: Diet Description
In 2012, Ronda Rousey described her diet as "kind of a mix between a Paleo and a Warrior diet."
January 2013: Sandy Hook Conspiracy Theory Controversy
In January 2013, Ronda Rousey faced criticism after posting a video on her Twitter page promoting a conspiracy theory about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. She later deleted the video, and her manager issued a public apology.
February 23, 2013: UFC 157 Title Defense
On February 23, 2013, at UFC 157, Ronda Rousey defended her Bantamweight Championship title against Liz Carmouche, winning by submission due to an armbar in the first round. Carmouche dislocated Ronda Rousey's jaw during the fight.
May 2013: Maxim Hot 100 Ranking
In May 2013, Ronda Rousey was ranked 29 on the Maxim Hot 100 list.
September 2013: Maxim Cover Appearance
In September 2013, Ronda Rousey was featured on the cover and in a pictorial of Maxim magazine.
December 28, 2013: UFC 168 Title Defense
On December 28, 2013, Ronda Rousey faced Miesha Tate at UFC 168 in a rematch from Strikeforce and submitted Tate via armbar in the third round to retain her Bantamweight Championship.
2013: Receiving "Rowdy" Nickname Approval
Around 2013, Ronda Rousey met "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and received his approval to use the "Rowdy" nickname.
February 22, 2014: UFC 170: Rousey vs. McMann
On February 22, 2014, Ronda Rousey defended her UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship against Sara McMann at UFC 170. Rousey won by TKO in the first round, marking her first win that wasn't via armbar, though the stoppage was controversial.
July 5, 2014: UFC 175: Rousey vs. Davis
On July 5, 2014, Ronda Rousey defended her UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship against Alexis Davis at UFC 175, winning by knockout in just 16 seconds of the first round. During the fight, Rousey broke her thumb. She also earned a Performance of the Night bonus award for the emphatic win.
August 17, 2014: SummerSlam WWE Appearance
On August 17, 2014, The Four Horsewomen were acknowledged at WWE's SummerSlam event. Ronda Rousey hinted at a possible transition to wrestling in an interview with WWE.com.
2014: The Expendables 3 Film Appearance
In 2014, Ronda Rousey appeared in the film "The Expendables 3".
2014: Co-starring role in The Expendables 3
In 2014, Ronda Rousey co-starred in The Expendables 3, marking her first major motion picture role.
2014: Continued Jiu Jitsu Training
Until 2014, Ronda Rousey continued training in Jiu Jitsu at Dynamix MMA with Henry Akins.
February 28, 2015: UFC 184: Rousey vs. Zingano
On February 28, 2015, Ronda Rousey fought Cat Zingano at UFC 184, where Rousey defeated Zingano with an armbar in just 14 seconds. This was the shortest title match in UFC history at the time.
March 29, 2015: WrestleMania 31 Appearance
On March 29, 2015, at WrestleMania 31, Ronda Rousey appeared during a segment with The Rock, Stephanie McMahon, and Triple H, attacking Triple H and throwing McMahon out of the ring. Rousey hinted at a future return to WWE.
April 2015: Visit to Armenian Genocide Memorial
In April 2015, Ronda Rousey visited Yerevan, Armenia, for the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide. She visited the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide memorial.
July 2015: Travis Browne Domestic Violence Allegations
In July 2015, Travis Browne was under investigation by the UFC after his estranged wife, Jenna Renee Webb, publicly accused him of domestic violence.
August 1, 2015: UFC 190: Rousey vs. Correia
On August 1, 2015, Ronda Rousey defeated Bethe Correia at UFC 190 in Brazil by knockout in 34 seconds. Rousey dedicated the match to "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, who died the day before and was one of her inspirations. This fight earned her another Performance of the Night award.
August 2015: Rumored Relationship with Travis Browne
In August 2015, Ronda Rousey was rumored to be in a relationship with UFC fighter Travis Browne, who had defeated Brendan Schaub the previous year. The rumors surfaced after a picture of them appeared on Twitter, and Browne's estranged wife accused them of seeing each other while Browne was still married and under investigation for domestic violence allegations.
October 2015: Guest Host on ESPN's SportsCenter
In October 2015, Ronda Rousey made history as the first female athlete to guest host ESPN's SportsCenter.
October 2015: Confirmation of Relationship with Travis Browne
In October 2015, Travis Browne confirmed that he and Ronda Rousey were in a relationship. The next day, Rousey also confirmed their relationship.
November 15, 2015: UFC 193: Rousey vs. Holm
On November 15, 2015, Ronda Rousey faced Holly Holm at UFC 193, where she was knocked out in the second round, losing her title and undefeated streak. Both fighters were awarded a Fight of the Night bonus of $50,000.
November 18, 2015: UFC Medical Suspension
On November 18, 2015, Ronda Rousey was medically suspended by UFC following her loss to Holly Holm.
December 9, 2015: Medical Clearance
On December 9, 2015, Ronda Rousey was medically cleared by UFC following her suspension.
2015: Appearances in Furious 7 and Entourage
In 2015, Ronda Rousey appeared in the film Furious 7 and played herself in the film Entourage.
2015: Australian Men's Fitness Cover
In 2015, Ronda Rousey became the first woman featured on the cover of the November edition of Australian Men's Fitness magazine.
2015: Best Female Athlete and Autobiography
In 2015, Ronda Rousey was voted the best female athlete of all time in an ESPN fan poll. She also published her autobiography, "My Fight / Your Fight" in 2015.
January 2016: The Ring Magazine Cover
In January 2016, Ronda Rousey appeared on the cover of The Ring magazine, marking her as the first mixed martial artist and the second woman, after Cathy Davis in 1978, to achieve this honor.
January 23, 2016: Host of Saturday Night Live
On January 23, 2016, Ronda Rousey hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live, with Selena Gomez as the musical guest.
February 2016: Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Cover
In February 2016, Ronda Rousey was featured in body paint as one of three cover athletes for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
February 16, 2016: The Ellen DeGeneres Show Appearance
On February 16, 2016, Ronda Rousey appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and revealed that she considered suicide after her loss to Holly Holm.
December 30, 2016: UFC 207: Rousey vs. Nunes
On December 30, 2016, after over a year away from the sport, Ronda Rousey returned to face Amanda Nunes at UFC 207, losing via TKO in the first round.
2016: Endorsement of Bernie Sanders' Presidential Campaign
In 2016, Ronda Rousey endorsed Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign in the United States presidential election.
2016: Retired from MMA
In 2016, Ronda Rousey retired from Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).
2016: Road House Remake Cancellation
In 2016, the planned remake of the 1989 film Road House, starring Ronda Rousey, was cancelled. She had reached out to Lisa Niemi, Patrick Swayze's widow, for her blessing, which was given.
April 20, 2017: Engagement to Travis Browne
On April 20, 2017, Ronda Rousey and Travis Browne got engaged in New Zealand.
August 28, 2017: Marriage to Travis Browne
On August 28, 2017, Ronda Rousey and Travis Browne were married in Browne's home state of Hawaii.
September 12, 2017: Mae Young Classic Appearance
On September 12, 2017, Ronda Rousey and the other Horsewomen appeared at the Mae Young Classic to support Shayna Baszler, and had a face-off with WWE's Four Horsewomen, hinting at a possible future feud.
January 28, 2018: Royal Rumble Appearance and WWE Contract Signing
On January 28, 2018, Ronda Rousey made a surprise appearance at the Royal Rumble, confronting the champions. She signed a full-time contract with WWE and became part of the Raw brand. The jacket she wore belonged to "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.
July 9, 2018: Confirmation as WWE 2K19 Pre-Order Bonus Character
On July 9, 2018, Ronda Rousey was confirmed as one of the two pre-order bonus characters for the video game WWE 2K19. She has also appeared in other games like EA Sports UFC, WWE 2K20, WWE 2K Battlegrounds, and mobile games.
July 2018: UFC Hall of Fame Induction
In July 2018, Ronda Rousey was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
2018: Mile 22 Film Appearance
In 2018, Ronda Rousey appeared in the film "Mile 22".
2018: WWE Debut and Raw Women's Championship
In 2018, Ronda Rousey began her professional wrestling career, signing with WWE and debuting at WrestleMania 34. She later won the Raw Women's Championship at SummerSlam.
2018: Inducted into UFC Hall of Fame
In 2018, Ronda Rousey was the first female fighter inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
January 17, 2019: Sonya Blade Voice in Mortal Kombat 11
On January 17, 2019, it was confirmed that Ronda Rousey would be the voice of Sonya Blade in the video game Mortal Kombat 11.
January 28, 2019: Raw: Title defense 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 chose to challenge her in a title match at WrestleMania 35.
August 18, 2019: Rousey Joins 9-1-1 Series and Suffers Injury
On August 18, 2019, it was announced that Ronda Rousey would be a recurring character, Lena Bosko, in the third season of Fox's 9-1-1 series. On her first day of shooting, she injured two fingers, resulting in a fractured ring finger and a broken middle finger with a nearly severed tendon, requiring surgery.
February 18, 2020: First Stream on Facebook Gaming
On February 18, 2020, Ronda Rousey announced her first stream on Facebook Gaming, donating all stream profits to charity.
April 21, 2021: Pregnancy Announcement
On April 21, 2021, Ronda Rousey announced on her official YouTube channel that she was four months pregnant with her first child.
September 2021: Host of Rowdy's Places on ESPN+
In September 2021, Ronda Rousey hosted Rowdy's Places on ESPN+. This ten-episode limited series saw Ronda speaking with experts within the worlds of MMA, wrestling, boxing and more to uncover why combat sports have been a global sensation for a millennium.
September 27, 2021: Birth of First Child
On September 27, 2021, Ronda Rousey gave birth to her first child, a girl named La’akea Makalapuaokalanipō Browne.
January 2022: Top 20 Richest MMA Fighters
In January 2022, Ronda Rousey was recognized as one of the top 20 richest MMA fighters, holding a net worth of US$12 million. She was the only woman to be included in this list.
January 29, 2022: Royal Rumble 2022: Rousey's Return
On January 29, 2022, Ronda Rousey returned to WWE at the Royal Rumble, entering at No. 28 and winning by last eliminating Charlotte Flair, earning a championship match at WrestleMania 38.
November 30, 2022: Playable Character in Raid: Shadow Legends
On November 30, 2022, Ronda Rousey was added as a playable character to the game Raid: Shadow Legends.
2022: WWE Career in 2022
In 2022, Ronda Rousey retained her title against Natalya at Money in the Bank, but lost to Liv Morgan who cashed in her Money in the Bank contract. She then challenged Morgan for the title at SummerSlam 2022 and lost in controversial fashion, leading to her suspension and eventual reclaiming of the SmackDown Women's Championship at Extreme Rules.
2022: Royal Rumble and SmackDown Women's Championship Wins
In 2022, Ronda Rousey returned to WWE, winning the women's Royal Rumble match. She also won the SmackDown Women's Championship twice that year.
2022: UFC Title Defense Record Surpassed
In 2022, Valentina Shevchenko surpassed Ronda Rousey's record for most UFC title defenses (6) by a female.
October 2023: Left WWE
In October 2023, Ronda Rousey left WWE and began wrestling on the independent circuit.
October 26, 2023: Rousey Comes Out of Retirement at Lucha VaVoom
On October 26, 2023, Ronda Rousey ended her brief retirement by teaming up with Marina Shafir at a Lucha VaVoom event, where they were victorious against her trainer Brian Kendrick and Taya Valkyrie.
2023: Residence in Venice, California
As of 2023, Ronda Rousey resides in Venice, California.
2023: WWE Career Events and Departure
In 2023, Ronda Rousey experienced several key events in her WWE career. On February 10, she allied with Shayna Baszler, attacking Liv Morgan and Tegan Nox. At WrestleMania 39, Rousey and Baszler won a tag team match, though Rousey was limited due to a fractured elbow. They were drafted to Raw as a team and won the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship on May 29, making Rousey a WWE Women's Triple Crown Champion. On June 23, they unified the WWE and NXT Women's Tag Team Championships. However, their reign ended at Money in the Bank when Baszler betrayed Rousey, leading to a loss. Rousey lost to Baszler at SummerSlam. After this, reports indicated Rousey was leaving WWE, confirmed on October 11 via her Instagram. Rousey also criticized WWE and Vince McMahon, citing concussion-related retirement.
July 25, 2024: Announcement of Second Pregnancy
On July 25, 2024, Ronda Rousey announced that she is expecting her second child with Travis Browne.
2024: Rousey Issues Apology for Sandy Hook Conspiracy Theory
In 2024, Ronda Rousey issued an apology for her previous posts surrounding the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
January 9, 2025: Birth of Second Child
On January 9, 2025, Ronda Rousey gave birth to her second child, a girl named Liko’ula Pā’ūomahinakaipiha Browne.
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