Can Ronda reignite the Rousey effect?

TL;DR

Ronda Rousey, once a dominant UFC champion and cultural icon, is being compared to Conor McGregor and Mike Tyson for her star power. Her influence extended beyond MMA into Hollywood and mainstream culture.

Key points

Ronda Rousey was a dominant UFC women's bantamweight champion.
She was compared to Conor McGregor and Mike Tyson for her star power.
Rousey transcended MMA, landing roles in major Hollywood films.
Her autobiography became a New York Times Best Seller.
She had a significant cultural impact, influencing women's sports.

Mentioned in this story

UFC

The ExpendablesFast & FuriousEntourageNew York Times Best Seller List

By the time I first shared a space with Ronda Rousey, I had been covering Conor McGregor’s astronomical rise for more than half a decade.

Up until that moment, I hadn’t met someone with the same presence — kids would probably call it “aura” nowadays — as the Irishman. Yet, while I sat at the UFC 187 post-fight press conference at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, awaiting the post-fight insights of newly crowned light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, Rousey entered the room.

Every pair of eyeballs followed “Rowdy” as she strutted through. At the time she was the reigning UFC women’s bantamweight champion, an untouchable force, a cultural icon and arguably the only person who could rival the star power of McGregor, and she had the game in a chokehold as deadly as her signature armbar.

Fresh off her fifth win for the promotion, Dana White was proclaiming her the female equivalent to prime “Iron” Mike Tyson. Just two years into her UFC tenure, she had transcended the sport, landing roles in gargantuan Hollywood franchises “The Expendables”, “Fast & Furious” and “Entourage.” Four months after UFC 187, Beyoncé would feature Rousey’s “Do Nothing B****” speech during her main event performance at the Made In America festival. That same year, her autobiography, “My Fight/Your Fight,” was featured on the New York Times Best Seller List.

That balmy night in Sin City, you couldn’t have convinced me that we would only see Rousey win one more time in the Octagon — another blistering finish, this time of Bethe Correia — but assumption makes fools of us all.

It felt like Holly Holm head-kicked all that aura into oblivion in Melbourne, Australia, six months after I was spellbound by the starlet. The public wanted its pound of flesh and Rousey delivered the opposite, shielding her face with a pillow as she made her way through LAX on her arrival home. She would return a year later, refusing all media, before suffering another first-round knockout at the hands of Amanda Nunes.

One of the true superstars of the fledgling sport had burned out in front of our very eyes. For fans and media, Rousey’s inability to face the music , and even though she would go on to have successful runs in the adjacent world of professional wrestling, the relationship with MMA was left in a presumed state of disrepair.

Q&A

What made Ronda Rousey a cultural icon in MMA?

Ronda Rousey became a cultural icon due to her dominance in the UFC, her unique presence, and her crossover into Hollywood films.

How did Ronda Rousey's career compare to Conor McGregor's?

Both Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor are known for their significant star power and ability to transcend the sport, with Rousey being hailed as the female equivalent of McGregor.

What roles did Ronda Rousey take on in Hollywood?

Ronda Rousey appeared in major Hollywood franchises such as 'The Expendables', 'Fast & Furious', and 'Entourage'.

What impact did Ronda Rousey have on women's sports?

Ronda Rousey significantly impacted women's sports by elevating the visibility and popularity of female fighters in MMA, inspiring a new generation of athletes.