Not all mixed martial arts fighters will get the success in their fighting career and experience ride of their lives like Ronda Rousey did. In just five years, “Rowdy” was able to rise from nothing into one of the biggest female fighters in the UFC, if not in the entire mixed martial arts, industry. Not only did Rousey managed to rise to stardom in a male-dominated sport in such a short period of time, but she was also able to pave the way for women fighters to get onboard with the UFC.
“I don’t even think I’m going to know what is going on right now or realize what is going on right now until afterward, until it’s all done. I could just try to do the best that I can in the moment, but I don’t really think that any of us really comprehend what’s going on right now until we’re looking at it in hindsight. And that’s the kind of thing, I think it’s kind of funny. There’s so many people who just live to hate me, but when I’m gone, they’re going to miss me. They really are” Rousey said in a recent podcast with Joe Rogan.
In reality, everything is getting better for the bantamweight champion. Rousey, who has a record of 12-0, is currently the UFC’s reigning women’s MMA bantamweight champ and she is scheduled to go up against Holly Holm this coming November 15th in Melbourne, Australia. Around 70,000 fight fans are estimated to watch and cheer for her during the fight. If this is indeed the number of fans that will appear during the fight day, then UFC 193 would beat the UFC’s previous attendance record back in UFC 129.
Breaking records isn’t new for Rousey. Just recently, the bantamweight champ had won over title contender Bethe Correia in just 34 seconds during the MMA UFC 190 event. This fight has garnered the highest PPV record this year, even though the undercard fights lacked luster. The success that she is having in her career have gained massive momentum that even the smallest things, like her campaign “Don’t be a DNB” has gained huge success in such a short amount of time.
Even though Rousey is already being tagged as a great cultural feminist model and a good example for young women, the champ sees herself in a rather unique manner.
“I’m not the protagonist. I’m the antagonist. Because the protagonist just reacts. They do nothing. The whole storyline, the whole everything that goes on, is completely dependent on the antagonist. I’m the one who’s forcing everybody to do something, and so I like to think of myself as more of the heel, the bad guy who you somehow sometimes root for. You can’t help it a little bit sometimes, but sometimes you hate them. I think the fact that mixed emotions come out is one of the more interesting things. I’m not trying to have everyone like me. I’m trying to have everybody care about what I’m doing,” she said.