Ronda Rousey is the biggest star in MMA history. That much can’t even be argued. She’s in magazines, commercials and blockbuster Hollywood movies. You can rest assured an ESPN camera is around the corner every time she fights.
She has single-handedly broken into the mainstream sports world. Young women on hand to see her workout in Rio last week had tears of joy streaming down their faces. A small child ran past security with his heart set on sneaking in a hug from the reigning UFC women’s bantamweight champion.
Rousey’s star power isn’t fixated around young men and hardcore MMA fans. It goes way beyond that. Rousey is the one fighter your mother and grandmother are talking about. She’s the reason for the old, grumpy neighbor’s momentary infatuation with MMA. She’s the reason LeBron James remained seated at the ESPYs.
No, there is no bigger star than Ronda Rousey in MMA.
But superstardom aside, Rousey broke down another barrier on Saturday night at UFC 190, where she dusted off top women’s bantamweight contender Bethe Correia in 34 seconds with a highlight reel knockout.
She has now positioned herself along the likes of Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva and Jose Aldo as quite possibly the greatest MMA fighter of all time.
Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole argues:
If there were a male UFC champion who was 12-0 and had won his last three fights in 16, 14 and 34 seconds, that man would almost by acclamation be proclaimed the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world as well as the greatest who ever lived.
Iole is absolutely right in that regard. Rousey has annihilated the competition. The path to the queen’s throne at 135 pounds is covered with trampled hearts and the skeletal remains of missing limbs. She has finished her last four opponents in less than three minutes combined.
Imagine if Aldo was doing this to opponents. What would people be saying about him?
Of course, the notion that Rousey is the greatest of all time does have serious cracks. She isn’t facing nearly the same level of opposition as Aldo and other world champions. There is no reason to feign as if Correia was a proven contender heading into the fight. All of Correia’s UFC opponents up until that point had a combined UFC record of 1-7.
Rousey isn’t staring down a murderer’s row of contenders. The women’s bantamweight division has only existed in the UFC for two years, which means the level of talent isn’t that deep yet. But as time goes by, Rousey’s dominance will encourage more and more women to get involved in MMA, and the overall talent in the division will grow.
Rousey isn’t the greatest of all time, but her name holds weight. She is one of the best—man or woman—to ever put on a pair of four ounce gloves. But if we’re talking greatest of all time, we’re going to need a herculean feat inside the cage.
Perhaps a move to 145 pounds to challenge Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino would do the trick.
Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He also is the MMA writer for FanRag Sports and co-founder of The MMA Bros.
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