Ronda Rousey is considered one of the greatest female mixed martial artists in history after a movie-worthy journey to the top.
The American has won Olympic medals, UFC belts and WWE titles, but at one point found herself homeless before rising to the summit of the combat sport world.
Rouse clinched a judo bronze medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, before embarking on a trailblazing MMA career. After retiring from UFC in 2016, Rousey then enjoyed a stint in professional wrestling.
Despite her unprecedented success in sport, though, Rousey’s journey to the top was not always smooth sailing.
A particularly difficult period came after the Olympics in 2008, when Rousey was forced to live in her car.
Now 37 years old, Rousey has overcome such setbacks with astonishing resilience and is now a sporting icon, making millions from her exploits in the ring and lucrative endorsement deals.
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Making history at the Olympics
Born on February 1, 1987, Rousey was introduced to judo by her mother, AnnMaria De Mars, who herself was a world champion in the sport. Rousey honed her skills under AnnMaria’s guidance until she was 13, stopping after she accidentally broke her mother’s wrist.
At 17, Rousey qualified for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, but lost in her first match in the 63 kilogram bracket to eventual silver medallist Claudia Heill.
Rousey moved up to 70kg shortly after and became one of the top three women in the world in the category.
She entered the Beijing 2008 Olympics as a determined and formidable competitor, but lost to Dutch judoka Edith Bosch in the quarter-finals.
The repechage bracket – where the four losing quarter-finalists compete to continue in the competition – gave Rousey another opportunity to finish on the podium, and she grasped it with both hands.
Rousey defeated Germany’s Annett Boehm to clinch bronze, becoming the first American to win an Olympic medal in women’s judo.
Overcoming adversity
Despite making Olympic history, Rousey was not enjoying her judo career and decided to give up the sport. She wanted to get a normal job for a while and moved back in with her mother while she was searching for employment.
But Rousey ended up having an argument with her mother and was forced to live in her 2005 Honda Accord while looking for new accommodation. She did this while balancing jobs as a waitress and a receptionist at a fitness centre.
She later told ESPN’s SportsCenter that while she had only lived in her car for a short period, it drove her to work even harder.
“People kind of over play it with me living in my car,” she said. “I was only really there for like a week or week and a half.
“There’s no better way to get motivated than if you’re homeless. If you’re homeless and not hustling, you’ve got a problem because I was never more motivated to find a place than then.”
Rousey now makes millions from her fighting career and sponsorship deals. She even made some money from selling the Honda Accord on Ebay in 2015, with the car eventually going for $21,300 (£16,900).
Becoming a sporting icon
Rousey’s transition from judo to mixed martial arts was a pivotal turning point in her career.
In 2010, Rousey made her amateur debut in MMA, quickly making a name for herself with her signature armbar submissions. Her success in amateur fights led to her turning professional in 2011.
She quickly rose through the ranks and became the first woman to sign with UFC in 2012. Rousey became the inaugural UFC women’s bantamweight champion, a title she defended successfully multiple times.
Rousey’s success in the UFC brought her not only financial stability but also widespread recognition and fame. She became a trailblazer for women in MMA, proving that they could be just as compelling and successful as their male counterparts.
Her fights drew significant attention and were among the highest-grossing events in the sport.
Rousey’s impact went beyond the cage. She became a cultural icon, appearing in movies, television shows, and even writing a memoir.
But her career in MMA was not without its challenges. After a meteoric rise, Rousey faced defeats that tested her resolve. Her loss to Holly Holm in 2015 and subsequent defeat by Amanda Nunes in 2016 were significant setbacks.
These losses, coupled with the physical and emotional toll of fighting, led Rousey to step away from MMA. Yet, even in the face of these challenges, Rousey continued to reinvent herself.
After leaving MMA, Rousey transitioned to professional wrestling, signing with WWE in 2018. She once again made history, becoming the Raw Women’s Champion and headlining major events like WrestleMania.
Rousey’s career has well and truly been a rollercoaster, from the highs of earning an Olympic medal to the lows of living in a car after retiring from judo.
One thing’s for sure, Rousey has always bounced back from setbacks in impressive fashion.
News Summary:
- Ronda Rousey won Olympic medal but ended up quitting judo and living in her car before becoming UFC and WWE superstar
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