She’s also a model, a trash-talker, and an Olympic medalist. She has everything it takes to be a mainstream sports star. Here’s everything you need to know about her before she becomes a star.
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Meet Ronda Rousey, the UFC's first female champion
She made it to her first Olympics in Athens, but didn't medal. In 2008, she went to Beijing and won a bronze in judo
But afterward, she had no job to fall back on - 'They give you a couple grand, a handshake and they kick your ass out the door.'
She took a graveyard shift at a 24 Hour Fitness in California while trying to figure out what she wanted to do
In 2010, she returned to fighting at an MMA gym in Los Angeles. She said, 'I need to win and I need to do this quick because I'm tired of living with the cockroaches and eating frozen vegetables.'
In just seven months, she went from an out-of-work ex-Olympian to a professional MMA fighter, winning her first fight in 25 seconds
In her fifth career fight, she won the Strikeforce bantamweight title and became the sport's most recognizable name for her borderline offensive trash-talking
She once said about her next opponent - 'If I get her in an armbar, I'm gonna try to rip it off and throw it at her corner'
She also trashed talked Michael Phelps and Kim Kardashian, saying Kim was only famous for her sex tape
After that, her popularity skyrocketed when she landed on the cover of ESPN's Body Issue
But despite the newfound fame, women's MMA still didn't make her a lot of money. She told SI about her financial situation, 'I couldn't retire, but I'd be chilling for a while.'
In October, the league she worked for, Strikeforce, announced it would shut down in 2013
The UFC scooped her up immediately, making her the first female fighter ever.
Her first fight was Saturday night against Liz Carmouche in San Diego
Meet Ronda Rousey, the UFC's first female champion
RONDA ROUSEY IS the best female MMA fighter in the world and UFC champion after Saturday night.
She’s also a model, a trash-talker, and an Olympic medalist. She has everything it takes to be a mainstream sports star. Here’s everything you need to know about her before she becomes a star.
She made it to her first Olympics in Athens, but didn't medal. In 2008, she went to Beijing and won a bronze in judo
But afterward, she had no job to fall back on - 'They give you a couple grand, a handshake and they kick your ass out the door.'
She took a graveyard shift at a 24 Hour Fitness in California while trying to figure out what she wanted to do
In 2010, she returned to fighting at an MMA gym in Los Angeles. She said, 'I need to win and I need to do this quick because I'm tired of living with the cockroaches and eating frozen vegetables.'
In just seven months, she went from an out-of-work ex-Olympian to a professional MMA fighter, winning her first fight in 25 seconds
In her fifth career fight, she won the Strikeforce bantamweight title and became the sport's most recognizable name for her borderline offensive trash-talking
She once said about her next opponent - 'If I get her in an armbar, I'm gonna try to rip it off and throw it at her corner'
She also trashed talked Michael Phelps and Kim Kardashian, saying Kim was only famous for her sex tape
After that, her popularity skyrocketed when she landed on the cover of ESPN's Body Issue
But despite the newfound fame, women's MMA still didn't make her a lot of money. She told SI about her financial situation, 'I couldn't retire, but I'd be chilling for a while.'
In October, the league she worked for, Strikeforce, announced it would shut down in 2013
The UFC scooped her up immediately, making her the first female fighter ever.
Her first fight was Saturday night against Liz Carmouche in San Diego
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