5 Moments That Made Ronda Rousey A UFC Legend (And 5 She Wishes We’d Forget)
5. Legend: Three Year Title Reign
Winning a title in mixed martial arts, particularly a UFC championship, is an amazing accomplishment.
Once a fighter has captured a title, their reign will inevitably be compared to every fighter who held the strap before them and each competitor who wins it after.
In Rousey's case, she was the first UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion, so she will be a measuring stick to which all future champs are compared.
Rousey was given the UFC Bantamweight Championship from Dana White on 6 December 2012, on the basis that she held the Strikeforce Bantamweight title when UFC bought the rival promotion. Prior to the purchase, the Strikeforce belt was considered the most prestigious women's title, given UFC did not have a female division.
Rousey would defend the title an impressive six times before ultimately losing it to Holly Holm at UFC 193 on 15 November 2015. In total, she held the strap for almost three years —which makes her longest reigning UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion in the title's short history.
Her impressive title run is one of the many reasons Ronda Rousey is considered an MMA legend.