Last Updated on September 13, 2024
Ronda Jean Rousey is an American mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, actress, and former judoka. Rousey is widely regarded as the most successful combat sportswoman. She’s currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where she performs on SmackDown shows.Quick Facts
| Full Name: | Ronda Jean Rousey |
| Popular Name: | Ronda Rousey |
| Gender: | Female |
| Birth Date: | February 1, 1987 |
| Age: | 36 years |
| Parents: | Ronald John Rousey and AnnMaria De Mars |
| Siblings: | Maria Burns-Ortiz, Jennifer Rousey, and Julia DeMars |
| Birth Place: | Riverside, California, United States |
| Nationality: | United States |
| Ethnicity: | Mixed (English, Polish, Trinidadian, and Venezuelan) |
| Education: | Santa Monica High School |
| Marital Status: | Married to UFC fighter Travis Browne (since 2017) |
| Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
| Wife/Spouse: | Travis Browne |
| Children: | La’akea Makalapuaokalanip Browne. |
| Dating: | N/A |
| Net Worth: | USD 13 million |
| Source of Wealth: | Mixed Martial Arts, Professional Wrestling, Acting, Endorsement Deals, and Other Ventures |
| Height: | 5′ 6″ (1.68 m) |
| Weight: | 61 kg; In pounds: 135 lbs. |
Early Life and Career Information
Early Life
Ronda Jean Rousey was born on February 1, 1987, in Riverside, California, United States, to Ronald John Rousey and AnnMaria De Mars (née Waddell). Her mother is an accomplished judoka who won the World Judo Championship in 1984, becoming the first American to achieve that feat. Rousey attended Santa Monica High School but dropped out due to apraxia, a severe neurological childhood speech disorder. She later earned her GED.Judo Career
Ronda Rousey began training in judo alongside her mother at the age of 11. At 17, Rousey qualified for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. She was the youngest judoka to qualify for the event. Rousey lost in her debut Olympic match to silver medalist Claudia Heill. However, she won a gold medal at the World Junior Judo Championships held in Budapest, Hungary, the same year. In April 2006, Ronda Rousey won a gold medal at the Birmingham World Cup held in Great Britain. Later that year, Rousey bagged a bronze medal at the Junior World Championships. In 2007, Rousey became the 2007 World Judo Championships silver medalist in the middleweight division. She also bagged a gold medal at the 2007 Pan American Games. Ronda qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. She put up a stellar performance before losing in the quarterfinals to Dutch ex-world champion Edith Bosch. Despite the loss, Ronda qualified for a bronze medal match via the repechage bracket. She won the bronze medal by defeating Annett Boehm and became the first American to win an Olympic medal in women’s judo.Mixed Martial Arts Career
Ronda Rousey made her mixed martial arts debut in August 2010 against Hayden Munoz. She defeated Munoz within seconds, courtesy of her signature move – the armbar. In August 2011, Ronda made her Strikeforce debut against Sarah D’Alelio. She defeated D’Alelio by technical submission, again using her signature armbar move. Ronda Rousey’s next wins were against Julia Budd and Miesha Tate. Thanks to her victory over Tate, Rousey became the Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Champion. After putting up an impressive performance at Strikeforce, Ronda Rousey eventually moved to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (the UFC). In 2012, Rousey became UFC’s first Woman’s Bantamweight Champion. She maintained her winning streak before losing her first major fight to Holly Holm on November 15, 2015. Ronda again lost to Amanda Nunes on December 30, 2016, after which she decided to retire from professional MMA.Wrestling Career
Ronda Rousey has participated in several WWE events, mainly as part of The Four Horsewomen. Rousey has gone up against renowned wrestlers, including The Rock, Triple H, The Authority, and Vince McMahon. In 2017, Ronda Rousey signed a full-time contract with WWE. Rousey joined WWE’s Raw brand in March 2018 and bagged her first Raw Championship against Bliss on August 19, 2018. She was the reigning champion for 231 days before losing to Lunch in March 2019. Ronda currently fights mainly on WWE’s SmackDown brand.Acting Career
Like most wrestlers, Ronda Rousey has appeared in several films and television shows. Her noteworthy film appearances include in The Expendables 3 (2014), Furious 7 (2015), and Entourage (2015).Ronda Rousey’s Net Worth
Lessons from Ronda Rousey
1. Never let your inadequacies hold you down Ronda Rousey dropped out of high school due to a speech disorder. But her condition didn’t prevent her from steering her life to greatness. 2. If a strategy works for you, don’t change it Rousey won nearly all her MMA fights courtesy of her signature move – the armbar. Thanks to the armbar, Ronda was able to defeat most of her fights in less than a minute. 3. Exit the stage with your reputation still intact Ronda Rousey had garnered an impressive MMA record by 2015. However, Rousey’s devastating loss to Holly Holm in November 2015 was her cue to exit the MMA stage. A further loss to Amanda Nunes on December 30, 2016, signaled the end of Ronda’s MMA career. She just couldn’t afford to add more losses to her outstanding record.Famous Quotes by Ronda Rousey
Even if they don’t know it, everyone has the instinct to survive.
If I could have had everything exactly the way I wanted, this is how I would have written it down. Win all my fights in the first round, then go to the UFC and headline a show, and have it as a pay-per-view and at home. People’s dreams don’t come true like that.
I love feeling like I’m inhabiting the body of a ninja, like I could rob a liquor store with my bare hands if I wanted to.
People say to me all the time, ‘You have no fear.’ I tell them, ‘No, that’s not true. I’m scared all the time. You have to have fear in order to have courage. I’m a courageous person because I’m a scared person.’
When I was in school, martial arts made you a dork, and I became self-conscious that I was too masculine. I was a 16-year-old girl with ringworm and cauliflower ears. People made fun of my arms and called me ‘Miss Man.’ It wasn’t until I got older that I realized: These people are idiots. I’m fabulous.
Final Word
Ronda Rousey is a decorated MMA artist and professional wrestler with numerous feats to her name. Rousey has earned fame and fortune in equal measure. She currently enjoys a net worth of $13 million as at 2023.