In the rising world of Women’s Mixed Martial Arts, there’s no better fighter or bigger name than “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey. Young, charismatic, and virtually unstoppable, the first and only UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion is one of the biggest pay-per-view attractions in all of MMA.
Her unbelievable accomplishments in the sport of MMA have made her a role model for many young women across the globe. As a Hollywood blockbuster megastar and a global phenomenon, Rousey is without a doubt one of the well-known personalities in the world. However, there are some facts even her most loyal followers don’t yet know about.
These facts will certainly help you see Rousey in a whole different light. So without further ado, here are Evolve Daily’s 9 Facts About UFC World Champion Ronda Rousey That Will Blow You Away:
1) A Near Death Experience – at Birth
Ronda Rousey almost died at birth due to a lack of oxygen as she was born with her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. In fact, the time she spent without oxygen actually caused her to sustain slight brain damage. This impeded Rousey’s ability to speak until she was six-years old.
2) Tough Childhood, Heartbreaking Loss
Ronday Rousey with her father, Ron Rousey.
Rousey had to endure a tough childhood struggling to overcome the speech impediment caused by the slight brain damage she sustained at birth. She also had to deal with the loss of her beloved father.
Rousey’s father, Ron Rousey, suffered a devastating back injury while sledding with his daughters. When he discovered that he would be a paraplegic in the few years he had left to live, he decided to take his own life. Rousey was just 8-years old at the time of her father’s death.
3) School of Hard Knocks & Tough Love
Ronda Rousey with her mother, AnnMaria De Mars.
Persuaded by her mother, AnnMaria De Mars, Rousey picked up Judo and found it to be an outlet for all her hardships. And though her mother’s coaching methods weren’t always easy, it sure did pay off in helping her get to where she is today.
Rousey’s mom would wake her up abruptly in the middle of the night by executing a hold or an armbar on her and forcing her to escape. Rousey was not allowed to go back to bed if she was not able to escape the hold or secure an effective submission of her own. De Mars would also surprise her with a rear-naked choke at random throughout the day.
4) Like Mother Like Daughter
You could say that world championship level mentality and skill runs in the family. Currently holding a 6th Degree Black Belt in Judo, Rousey’s mother is quite the legend as well. She won many national and international championships but her most notable achievement was being the first American to win Gold at the World Judo Championships, competing in the -56 kg weight class in 1984.
Rousey started Judo at the age of 11 and won several championships as well. She eventually made the U.S. Olympic team and won a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. She retired shortly after the Olympics at the age of 21.
5) The Gladstones Bartender
After all the grueling training sessions leading up to the 2008 Olympics, Rousey decided to take time off to relax and enjoy herself for awhile. She took up a job as a bartender at a bar called Gladstones in California. She even invented her own drink! Which she named “Party Like A Barack Star”. It was during that time that Rousey decided to try out MMA after watching a fight between Gina Carano and Julia Kedzie at EliteXC: Destiny.
6) Hollywood Superstar
Rousey at the Expendables 3 Los Angeles Premiere.
Having already appeared in two major films, The Expendables 3 and Furious Seven, Rousey is slowly but surely becoming one of the biggest blockbuster action stars in Hollywood. She also appeared in the popular comedy TV series turned movie, Entourage. There’s no doubt that we’ll be seeing more and more of Rousey on the silver screen in the years to come.
7) An Embarrassing First Trip to the ER
Ronda Rousey with her sisters, Julia De Mars & Maria Burns-Ortiz.
For someone like Rousey, you’d think that her first trip to the emergency room would have something to do with an injury sustained from training or fighting. But her first trip to the ER was for a reason you’d never guess – a reason that’s much more embarrassing.
When fooling around and making silly faces with her sisters one day, Rousey pushed a chocolate-covered raisin so far up her nose that she couldn’t get it out. The family decided to seek medical attention but just as they were pulling in to the parking lot at the nearest ER, the Raisinet dislodged and popped out! The chocolate covering had melted just enough for the raisin to slide out. Rousey still has a phobia of the candy to this day.
8) “Bob” the Boyfriend
Over the years, Rousey’s mom had made it a habit to call all of her daughters’ boyfriends and even potential boyfriends by the name “Bob”. According to De Mars, the reason is simple: “What’s the point in learning his name if he’s not going to be sticking around?”
She even adds a number to each “Bob” in order to differentiate one from the other. And yes, she calls them that to their faces. The only way to move out of the “Bob” zone is to marry into the family!
9) An Unprecedented Record of Dominance
Ronda Rousey in the Octagon after her 34-second win over Bethe Correia at UFC 190.
Rousey’s achievements and records in the sport of MMA are hard to fathom. She has only spent a total of 25 minutes and 36 seconds in the cage in 12 professional fights. And of those 12 fights, 11 of them ended in the first round! That adds up to an average of just two minutes and 8 seconds per fight! She also holds many other records in the UFC, which include:
– Fastest title fight turn around in UFC history with two title fights in 56 days.
– Fastest championship win in UFC history at 14 seconds in her victory over Cat Zingano at UFC 184.
– Second fastest victory in UFC championship history at 16 seconds in her victory over Alexis Davis at UFC 175.
There’s a lot more to a fighter than just what he or she does in the ring or in this case, the cage. Hopefully these facts have helped you learn more about one of the most dominant athletes of our generation.
