5 Moments That Made Ronda Rousey A UFC Legend (And 5 She Wishes We’d Forget)
3. Legend: First Fighter To Host SNL
On 23 January 2016, Ronda Rousey became the first mixed martial artist to host Saturday Night Live. This was a significant moment for Rousey and the sport as a whole.
In its infancy, mixed martial arts was viewed by many as a fringe sport that was too violent for casual audiences. The fact that someone who fought in a cage for a living has now hosting a mainstream program like SNL showed just how far the sport had come. Of course, it took someone like Ronda Rousey, a person with the right combination of skill and charisma, to garner the show's interest.
The former Olympian had appeared in major motion pictures prior to hosting the popular comedy show, but this was the first time an entire production was built around her.
Hosting Saturday Night Live solidified Rousey's status as a mainstream star while still active in the UFC. It was one of her career highlights.