10 MMA Champions Who Held World Titles Elsewhere
1. Ronda Rousey (IJF Senior Gold Medalist)
The biggest name on our list, in terms of star power at least, Ronda Rousey has blazed a trail in her division - and the promotion as a whole - that scorched the earth so hard, her legacy is still being talked about today.
Sure, she experienced a rough demise towards the end of her tenure in the UFC but let that not tarnish the body of work she assembled in the lead up.
A former UFC Bantamweight champion, who defended the belt successfully six times, Rousey reigned supreme as the Baddest Woman on the Planet for an age, becoming the first ever UFC Women's Champion and first ever Olympic Medal Winning Champion in the company.
That leads us nicely into Rousey's medal haul before stepping into the octagon.
It's pretty common knowledge by now that Ronda won a bronze in Judo at the 2008 Olympic games. What tends to be overlooked is the current WWE employee's prolific work in the International Judo Federation. Rousey amassed World Cup gold (2006, 2007 and 2008) and gold at the World Judo Championships (2006 as a junior and 2008 as a senior).
Rousey has gone on to become a movie star, professional wrestler and all round role model for women everywhere who strive to achieve and believe in their dreams, even when adversity threatens to derail you.
If you ever doubt just how impressive and down right technically gifted Ronda Rousey was in both Judo and MMA, you only have to read off her credentials to jog your memory.