Six Years Ago Today Ronda Rousey Made Her Pro-MMA Debut & The Rest, Is History

By Muk 

On March 27th 2011, all it took was 25 seconds for a 24-year old Ronda Rousey to submit Ediane Gomes with her patented arm-bar, and the legend of Ronda Rousey was born. Ronda Rousey is the most decorated female MMA fighter ever, and while I feel Cyborg will go down as the greatest ever, no female fighter has ever done more for women's MMA than Ronda. She took female MMA from the prelims to the main event, and bet it all on herself for the sake of the entire sport. 

When Ronda convinced Dana White to bring female fighters into the UFC in 2012, she promised Dana it was a decision he would never regret - and she couldn't have been more right. 

Ronda began training Judo at the age of 11 with her mother, and she never looked back. She took the Judo world by storm, competing in World Championship's and Olympics for the United States, winning bronze, silver, and gold medals from 2004-2008, and becoming one of the most prolific Judo athletes in the entire world.

Ronda took her extensive Judo training and began her climb in the MMA world in 2010, competing in 3 amateur fights, winning all 3 by arm-bar, and all 3 within the first minute of the first round (!!!!), before making her pro debut on March 27, 2011 against Ediane Gomes, needing all of 25 seconds to submit her via arm-bar. Ronda would remain undefeated until 2015, winning her first 8 pro fights via arm-bar, and 11 of her 12 wins in the first round. She dominated every single opponent she faced, using every bit of her dominant Judo, slamming her opponents on their heads and immediately sealing the arm-bar. It was not only one of the most impressive stretches of dominance in MMA history, but she also single-handedly carried the female MMA world on her back, all the way to the top. 

We all know the legend of Ronda has since been somewhat shattered, following her two brutal losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, but none of that can take anything away from what she did for the sport, and the way she did it. Love her or hate her, female MMA would be years behind if it wasn't for Ronda Rousey, and that can never been diminished. Whether we ever see her in an Octagon again or not, 'Rowdy' Ronda Rousey deserves every bit of her fame and fortune, and will forever go down as one of the greatest.