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#3 Ronda Rousey (12-2)
Ronda Rousey went from being the most feared woman on the planet to being perceived as a cowardly quitter. She was adored by the hardcore MMA fanbase, now; she is probably the most criticized of them all. Arrogant, weak-minded and overrated are some of the words thrown around to describe the former Women’s Bantamweight Champion.
However, no one can argue over the fact that Rousey had a major role to play in women getting a level playing field and at the height of her popularity, she was untouchable, unstoppable, and quite frankly, close to a mythical figure as opined by Joe Rogan.
The former Olympic Bronze Medalist in Judo is the first female champion in UFC history as well as being the first Olympic medalist to hold a title. The Armbar Queen has the most title defences in Bantamweight title history (6) and has the second as well as third fastest finishes in UFC title fights.
She was on top of the world until she got her head kicked in by Holly Holm on that fateful night on November 15, 2015, at UFC 193. The once-unconquerable Rousey was made to look like an amateur by an elite boxer in Holm.
Her striking frailties were exposed and head coach Edmond Tarverdyan was accused of hyping up his client to such an extent that it seemed like the success got to Rousey’s head.
She did return with the intention of shedding the tag of being a one-trick pony in her highly-publicized return fight against Amanda Nunes. However, the loss against Nunes turned out to be even more humbling than the one against Holm.
Rousey packed her bags and went to the WWE, where she has seamlessly adapted to pro wrestling and is the cornerstone of the WWE Women’s division.
Rousey is an iconic figure for women’s empowerment. She is a high-class judoka with an extraordinary championship record to boast about. Heck, she is one of the most defining athletes of the 21st century as rightfully stated by FoxSports.
However, she was also the most lucrative marketing gimmick in UFC history which ended up falling like a sack of potatoes. She may have made a lot of money and catapulted herself into mainstream folklore, but strictly in terms of being a martial artist, she wasn’t a natural and had her time at the top until she was glaringly exposed.
Nonetheless, Rowdy is a deserved Hall of Famer for her exploits inside the Octagon and her contributions to MMA in general.
