Ronda Rousey says she is fully aware of the impact she has had on women in combat sports and takes pride in what has followed, even as the broader culture has begun to forget how different things used to be.
Speaking to Sports Illustrated’s The Takedown ahead of her MMA return Saturday against Gina Carano at MVP MMA 1, Rousey reflected on her legacy.
“I’m very aware that women are headlining WWE because of me. That women are headlining and making big paydays in boxing because of me. In bare-knuckle boxing, in full-contact karate, in everything that’s a contact sport. I’m very, very proud of seeing all the success the women are having, because I was able to prove their commercial viability, and everyone’s trying to recapture that lightning in a bottle.”
Rousey acknowledged the full scope of those ripple effects may never be measurable, but said that was never the point.
“I’m so happy to see it. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fully understand the scope of those ripple effects — nor anybody else — but that’s not why you do it. I’m very, very proud, and it’s very cool to see. I’m glad it’s got to the point that things are so different that people forget how it used to be. I’m not mad at that. I’m proud.”
Rousey was instrumental in opening the UFC to women’s competition and went on to become a six-time defending UFC bantamweight champion and one of the biggest pay-per-view draws in the company’s history. Her move to WWE helped elevate the profile of women’s wrestling, contributing to the first women’s main event at WrestleMania and the all-women’s WWE Evolution pay-per-view.