One of the baddest, fiercest women in the game, Ronda Rousey is redefining what it means to ‘fight like a girl’
ROWDY RONDA
The youngest of three daughters to exceptionally athletic parents, AnnMaria De Mars and Ron Rousey, Ronda Rousey has become one of the most dominant female athletes of our time. A professional wrestler, former judoka and mixed martial artist, and actress, her achievements thus far have been phenomenal and unheard of – she was even the world’s first UFC/Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Champion and has been inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. Ronda is not only a UFC legend, but is also an Olympic medalist in judo, having won bronze at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Adding to her impressive list of accolades, she’s also a WWE superstar who is currently the SmackDown Women’s Champion after her big win in May this year, at the WrestleMania Backlash main event. ‘To be the best, you have to constantly be challenging yourself, raising the bar, pushing the limits of what you can do. Don’t stand still, leap forward,’ she exclaims when asked about her success thus far. ‘Some people like to call me cocky or arrogant, but I just think, “How dare you assume I should think less of myself? The problem isn’t me thinking I can achieve any goal I set for myself, the problem is you projecting your own self-doubt onto me.”’
PUTTING IN THE WORK
A self-professed tomboy, Ronda came straight out of the womb fighting (quite literally). Born with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck, Ronda experienced oxygen deprivation and complications after her birth. Nonetheless, she survived and has been fighting fit to this day. As a young child she took part in sports such as judo and swimming, and her competitive streak grew since then. ‘Everyone wants to win. But to truly succeed – whether it is at a sport or at your job, or in life – you have to be willing to do the hard work, overcome the challenges and make the sacrifices it takes to be the best at what you do,’ she says. As a wife and mother to her daughter (born in September 2021) and two stepsons, Ronda has worked hard to maintain a healthy balance between work and family life. Her Ronda On The Road online series documents everything. She has recently been embracing motherhood and its challenges, and believes it is a journey that shouldn’t be hidden. ‘It still blows my mind that my body assembled this little person, pushed her out and now makes everything she needs to thrive,’ she says.
KEEPING FIT
Ronda is committed to maintaining her health and fitness, working out almost every single day of the week. Being an athlete and actress (featuring in top-grossing action films such as Furious 7 and The Expendables 3), it is essential to stay in shape, energised and ready to perform at all times. ‘Most people focus on the wrong thing: They focus on the result, not the process,’ Ronda exclaims. ‘The process is the sacrifice; it’s all the hard parts – the sweat, the pain, the tears, the losses. You make the sacrifices anyway. You learn to enjoy them, or at least embrace them. In the end, it is the sacrifices that must fulfill you,’ she continues. As a woman in her field, Ronda believes in keeping focus and going for what you want – no ‘cutting corners or taking shortcuts’. This is why she is so inspiring and will continue to inspire future generations of women.
Quick-fire Q&As
One of the toughest opponents you’ve ever faced?
Gévrise Émane
Cheat meal of choice?
Buffalo wings
If you weren’t a fighter, what would you be?:
A rescue swimmer
Favourite band?
Sublime
Favourite movies?
Pulp Fiction (1994), Fight Club (1999) & Cherish (2002)
Favourite actor/actress?
Robin Tunney
Message to young emerging fighters?
You have a right to be there!
Words by Charndré Emma Kippie
Photography gallo/gettyimages
