In the modern Internet-powered world, someone on social media is always the flavour of the month. Sometimes for the wrong reasons; sometimes for the right ones. But more often than not, these individuals eventually drift away from the limelight and aren’t examined again with same kind of scrutinising eye for a considerable period of time… if ever. A lot of different people have their moment in the sun, and whilst some choose to step aside gracefully once their appeal has run its course, others will go to every possible length to hang on to their dwindling popularity.
But then there are individuals like Ronda Rousey. People who step into the limelight once, and simply never step out again. In November 2012, Rousey caused a stir by signing on the dotted line to become the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first ever female athlete, and she’s continued to create tremors in the combat sports industry ever since.
There are plenty of reasons why Rousey remains one of the most discussed figures in sport today. Yes, she’s unbeaten in her 12 MMA bouts to date. Yes, she’s only 28 and has already been named the greatest female athlete of all time by ESPN. Yes, she’s been fighting in the UFC for just three years and is already the highest paid competitor on the books. But Rousey is much more than just a cage fighter – she’s actually something much, much more.
Listed here are five reasons why Ronda Rousey might just be the world’s ultimate woman.
1. She’s Dispelled The Myth Of What Makes A Woman Attractive
One of the best things about Ronda Rousey is how she’s managed to dispel the myth that famous women (or indeed women in general) only look good if they’re super skinny all over. Throughout history there’s been a cringe-worthy amount of pressure put on women to trim down to a size zero in order to feel attractive, but in recent years, there’s been a welcome torrent of articles released arguing that women can be sexy regardless of their shape and size. Ronda Rousey is walking, living proof of their words.
All you need to do is flick through the dizzying selection of highlight videos dedicated to her UFC career, and it’s plain to see that Rousey is tough as nails. Sure, she’s not carrying much fat (any UFC fighter worth their salt can’t be overweight) but she’s also broad and muscular – a far cry from the archetypal image of the classic female model. Rousey promotes health, hygiene, fitness, strength and independence – and shows how these elements are so much sexier than an empty brain and an hourglass figure.
2. She’s Become The Face Of The Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship – widely known by its shortened title UFC – has long been a sport dominated by male athletes. Brutal and unforgiving, fighting events that fall under the UFC banner are ones where pretty much anything goes – with participants punching, kicking and grappling their opponents in order to knock them down to the mat.
The fact that Rousey has become the face of this organisation is absolutely astonishing given how the UFC had often been appeared to be against the concept of women entering the ring. Indeed, the organisation only accepted their first ever female fighter as recently as 2012 – which was Rousey herself.
Becoming the highest paid athlete and the key representative of the UFC is something that simply has to go down as one of the greatest achievements in sporting history. By doing this, Rousey has proved that you can genuinely do anything so long as you put your mind to it.
3. She’s Overcome Adversity Time And Time Again
If you’ve experiencing a tough time of things lately and feel as though you needed someone to turn to for inspiration, Ronda Rousey might just be the person you’ve been looking for.
Despite being born with a physical defect where she didn’t speak a single word until she was six years old, having to contend with the suicide of her father, and suffering a series of career-threatening injuries, Rousey has risen above adversity and become the biggest and most widely known fighter in the world today.
When all of this is put into context, you can’t help but feel a glowing admiration for her.
4. She Uses Her Influence To Speak Out About Important Issues
Most people will be familiar with the phrase: “With great power, comes great responsibility”. As poignant and inspiration as this may be, many modern day celebs and social media kings/queens choose to use Twitter, Facebook and journalist interviews as outlets for incoherent ramblings about material objects and self-promotion.
Rousey, on the other hand, is a little different. Whenever she speaks to interviewers, she doesn’t duck questions, fly off the handle or get frustrated. She answers truthfully and always speaks her mind – consciously presenting her opinion on important issues that often relate to the female population. She provides a refreshing change to the anecdotes of the typical celeb, offering intelligent thoughts about the current state of society, as well as inspirational tales about how she became the magnificent global icon that she is today.
5. She’s The Kind Of Superstar The World Needs
It can be tricky to find someone to look up to in today’s glut of so-called celebrities, but Ronda Rousey is a refreshing breath of fresh air in this respect. She’s not an arrogant, obnoxious, ignorant individual who’s gotten through life by riding on the coattails of close friends, family or sheer, dumb luck. She’s a smart, charismatic, and enormously talented woman. She’s exactly the kind of superstar the world needs – an icon for people who have spent their whole lives struggling to believe in themselves.
There you have it, folks. Ronda Rousey – officially the world’s ultimate woman.