One way that female athletes have been able to build their brand, beyond dominating in their sport, is appearing in Sports Illustrated‘s annual Swimsuit Issue. Ronda Rousey, who has already helped break barriers in UFC, is the latest female athlete to grace the pages of the magazine’s best-selling release.
Not only does Rousey join past athletes like Amanda Beard, Jennie Finch, Venus Williams and Danica Patrick, she’s also the first mixed martial artist to appear in the magazine. It’s a huge breakthrough for her and the sport.
Rousey did her best to provide some commentary on the photographs that appear in the magazine on social media. For instance, the UFC women’s bantamweight champion talked on Twitter about one suit that reminded her of a character from a 1990s movie:
Ironically, Leeloo Dallas was played by Milla Jovovich, who has carved out a niche in movies by playing a warrior in the Resident Evil movies.
In addition to picking outfits that come from ’90s science fiction cinema, Rousey also noted in two separate Instagram posts that her day of shooting went from first thing in the morning until late in the evening. This one, specifically, notes the freezing temperatures outside:
Let it be said, children, that the life of a model isn’t easy. You have to wake up at the crack of dawn, put on a swimsuit in frigid temperatures and have a smile while freezing through all of the pictures being taken.
Also, for anyone concerned about Rousey‘s focus as an athlete, she made sure to let the world know that fighting is still her top priority on Instagram:
Speaking to Chris Strauss of USA Today, Rousey talked about how this experience differed from her past modeling venture in ESPN The Magazine‘s Body Issue:
The difference in how I approached it is when I posed for ESPN Body, I really tried to be a lot more cut and a lot more close to my prime fighting shape because I was being photographed as a fighter and trying to look more like a fighter.
I purposely tried to get a little bit heavier for the SI issue so I was a little bit curvier and not in top fight shape look but the look at which I feel I’m the most attractive. It’s very natural for a person’s body to go through seasons.
There are few athletes in the world as fascinating as Rousey. She’s built a fanbase on being great at her job and outspoken on anything that crosses her mind, especially as it relates to opponents in the Octagon. Seeing her headline UFC events speaks to how much mainstream appeal the 28-year-old has.
Discussing the shooting of the Swimsuit Issue allowed Rousey, who is robot-like in the way she walks through opponents, to show a different side to her personality. Fans like having more access to their favorite athletes on social media.
Rousey, while certainly under no obligation to give insight into who she is, is helping herself and the sport of female mixed martial arts because of her appearance in the Swimsuit Issue. She continues to build more crossover appeal, and that brings in more viewers to the sport.
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