30 greatest female athletes of all time

19. Ronda Rousey
Mixed Martial Arts

When we talk about dominance in women’s sports, there are few who can claim that crown like Ronda Rousey. She was the must-see attraction in the UFC at a time when it was at arguably its highest popularity. Each and every time she was on a PPV, the buy rate grew and grew. Only three men have outsold Rousey’s top two main events, Connor McGregor, Brock Lesnar, and Kamaru Usman.

Rousey was proof that women were not only marketable in fighting, something Dana White was very much against, but they could be the marketable piece of the puzzle. Rousey’s knockouts were talked about like Mike Tyson in his prime. She won her first 10 matches (four of which were in Strikeforce before UFC was accepting women’s fights). 

Rousey would destroy her opponents, ending nine of her first ten fights in the first round. She finished six of those women in under a minute. Again, this was Tyson-esque and something we haven’t seen from the UFC in a long time. Her armbar was deadly. We’ve seen our share of quick knockouts, but having someone who specializes in destruction like that was incredible to see. 

Rousey wasn’t just a mixed martial artist, she was a phenomenal Judo fighter. She received the bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics, and she has 25 gold medals from tournaments around the globe. Rousey was a threat at every tournament. Her incredible skill, confidence, and aggressive fight style were almost impossible to match.