8 MMA Legends You've Never Heard Of
3. Becky Levi (7-1)
Though the UFC now boasts four women's weight classes, opportunities in the sport took a long time to open up for the fairer sex.
Before Amanda Nunes, before Ronda Rousey, hell, even before Gina Carano, there was Becky Levi. Standing over 6 feet tall and weighing in around 220lbs, Levi was a physical specimen and had considerable athleticism to boot.
After emerging as a star discus thrower, Levi would miss out on going to both the 1988 and 1992 Olympics due to injuries and later sought MMA as an avenue to continue her athletic career after meeting UFC veterans Don Frye and Dan Severn.
Making her MMA debut in 1996, Levi would mainly compete in Japan, compiling a 7-1 record including a bout with fellow WMMA pioneer Marloes Coenen, before retiring in 2001.
Though Levi's MMA career would be brief, her impact as the first American woman to find success in the sport would pave the way for many of the fighters currently competing in the UFC.