How Ronda Rousey Became a Historic UFC and WWE Champion

Ronda Rousey Getty Images "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links. " 1987–present Who Is Ronda Rousey? American mixed martial artist and actor Ronda Rousey is best known for her reign as the first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s bantamweight champion.

Rousey endured a tough childhood marked by a speech disorder and her father’s suicide. She became a judo champion, earning back-to-back golds at the Pan American Championships and a 2008 Olympic bronze medal. Rousey turned pro in 2010 and became a Strikeforce champion before headlining multiple UFC premium events.

She transitioned to pro wrestling, becoming a WWE superstar and one of only eight female Triple Crown champions. With her starpower, Rousey has also appeared in The Expendables and Fast & Furious movie franchises. Quick Facts FULL NAME: Ronda Jean Rousey BORN: February 1, 1987 BIRTHPLACE: Riverside, California SPOUSE: Travis Browne (2017-present) CHILDREN: La’akea and Liko’ula ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Aquarius Early Life Ronda Jean Rousey was born on February 1, 1987, in Riverside, California.

Born with her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck, Rousey nearly died from a lack of oxygen and sustained slight brain damage. She exhibited signs of Childhood Apraxia of Speech , a rare speech disorder where a child’s mouth cannot make movements to form words, and didn’t speak until she was 6 . A tragedy fell upon the family when Rousey’s dad, Ron, broke his back while sledding with his daughters.