5 biggest UFC fights of Ronda Rousey's career
Former UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey recently returned to the public eye after winning the 2022 WWE Women's Royal Rumble. While she is again forging an impressive career in the world of pro-wrestling, her record-breaking MMA run cannot be forgotten.
Ronda Rousey has won the Royal Rumble https://t.co/i2cW7c5d4X
Rousey's popularity is the reason that the UFC finally allowed women to compete in the promotion and she was named the inaugural bantamweight champion. She more than justified this decision, defending the belt successfully six times and headlining a number of cards that performed very well on PPV.
While her MMA career ultimately appears to have ended on the back of two consecutive losses, her winning run was truly something to behold. She is also a great entertainer, which has been proven by her seamless transition to life in the WWE.
While she only had eight fights inside the octagon, each one felt like a big occasion and she made an enormous impact on the sport. Here are the five biggest UFC fights of Ronda Rousey's career:
#5. Ronda Rousey vs. Cat Zingano - UFC 184
Cat Zingano was Ronda Rousey's fifth opponent inside the octagon and her eleventh professional MMA fight. At the time, Rousey was operating at the height of her powers and had knocked out Alexis Davis in just 16 seconds in her last fight.
Zingano was also undefeated heading into this one and had finished Amanda Nunes in her most recent fight. While this bout seemed evenly-matched on paper, Rousey overwhelmed Zingano and submitted her via armbar in just fourteen seconds.
Sub of the Year via @SBNLukeThomas: Ronda Rousey Armbars Cat Zingano at UFC 184 https://t.co/PJnDZoyMJl
While the fight may not have been a back-and-forth war, the result only added to the media frenzy surrounding Rousey. The bout also marked the beginning of the end for Zingano's octagon career as she lost three of her next four. She has since signed with Bellator and has rebounded, going 2-0 thus far.