Ronda Rousey's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A closer look at the biggest achievements of Ronda Rousey. Awards, milestones, and records that define success.

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.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

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.

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.

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.

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: 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.

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.

August 12, 2011: Strikeforce Challengers 18 Win

On August 12, 2011, Ronda Rousey defeated Sarah D'Alelio by technical submission due to an armbar at Strikeforce Challengers 18 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The victory was controversial due to conflicting accounts of D'Alelio's verbal submission.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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.

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.

My Fight / Your Fight

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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.

July 2018: UFC Hall of Fame Induction

In July 2018, Ronda Rousey was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.

2018: Inducted into UFC Hall of Fame

In 2018, Ronda Rousey was the first female fighter inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.

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.