Top 5 moments in Ronda Rousey's MMA career
UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey has become one of the faces of the sport in the past few years thanks to her blistering style in the cage and undeniable appeal outside of it as well.
Rousey rose to the top of the women's bantamweight division with a blistering tear through the weight class while beating every top contender that's been thrown in her path so far.
Through 10 career fights, Rousey has only gone past the first round one time, and in her past three fights, the most dominant woman in the sport has competed for a total of 1:36 while dispatching three of the very best fighters the bantamweight division has to offer.
As FOX Sports 1 gears up for a focus on Rousey and the women's bantamweight division on Monday, we're going to look at the top five moments for the champ since bursting onto the scene and taking the MMA world by storm.
Rousey taps Tate in Strikeforce
It took Rousey just four fights and four submission wins to earn her first shot at a major title when she faced Strikeforce champion Miesha Tate in March 2012. Rousey called Tate out for weeks to finally make the fight happen, and when it was finally signed, the two women engaged in one of the most bitter rivalries in MMA history.
Tate's experience was supposed to be the difference in the fight, but Rousey didn't back down one bit, and midway through the first round it was clear the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist was a force to be reckoned with.
After a back-and-forth fight early, Rousey finally started to control Tate late in the opening round, and as she snatched her signature armbar submission, it was clear this was a changing of the guard in women's MMA. Tate refused to tap, and eventually Rousey was forced to snap her arm before the fight was finally stopped.
Rousey won the Strikefore women's bantamweight title while sending a message to every other woman in the world at 135 pounds: If they wanted the gold, it was going to have to go through her.
First women's fight in UFC history
There was a time not so long ago when UFC president Dana White was quoted as saying that women would never compete inside the Octagon. White was just not a fan of women's fighting and couldn't envision the sport evolving to a point where he would welcome them to the UFC.
Then he saw Ronda Rousey perform in Strikeforce and he changed his mind immediately.
White credits Rousey as the singular force that forced him to re-evaluate his decision about bringing women to the UFC, and on Feb. 23, 2013, the first women's MMA fight was held in the Octagon.
Rousey fought and defeated Liz Carmouche that night, and it was a seminal moment for women's fighting and women's sports at large. The bout not only marked the first women's fight in the UFC, but Rousey and Carmouche also headlined the show and became the real stars that night as they took center stage in one of the most talked about events of the entire year.
Rousey became a household name that night, and the sport was forever changed because of it.
First women's coach on The Ultimate Fighter
When The Ultimate Fighter debuted in 2005, there was no telling how an MMA reality show would do on television, but as it turns out, the series ended up becoming a massive hit and may have saved the UFC from going out of business at a time when the owners were hemorrhaging money as the promotion tried to stay afloat.
No one could have imagined at the time that 17 seasons later, women would finally arrive on The Ultimate Fighter and once again change how the UFC operated forever.
Rousey was chosen as the first women's coach for The Ultimate Fighter, where she led a team made up of both men and women as they pursued a dream of one day fighting in the UFC. Rousey had an up-and-down time while coaching on the reality show, but there's no doubt the influence she had on the fighters and the sport as she once again broke down another barrier in her UFC career.
Rousey vs. Tate 2
Following her coaching stint on The Ultimate Fighter, Rousey was once again matched up with Miesha Tate with the women's bantamweight title on the line. This would end up being Rousey's toughest test to date.
The two women endured a bitter press tour and months of questions leading up to their fight, but when they finally met in the Octagon, Rousey and Tate put on a show. The fight made it to the third round, which is longer than Rousey had ever been in the cage before, but she eventually took home both a "Fight of the Night" award as well as a "Submission of the Night" bonus when she once again forced her opponent to tap out due to armbar.
There have been plenty of rivalries in women's fighting, but none hold a candle to Rousey and Tate. Chances are these two will meet again one day.
Rousey breaks the record for fastest finish in a title fight
In July 2014, Rousey dispatched No. 1 contender Alexis Davis in just 16 seconds to set the bar for her lightning-quick fights, but somehow the bantamweight champion found a way to top herself just last month at UFC 184.
Rousey faced undefeated contender Cat Zingano, who many believed was going to be the person to not only give the champion the toughest fight of her career, but also possibly take the belt from around her waist.
Fourteen seconds later, no one was thinking that any longer.
Rousey took a hard-charging Zingano to the mat and within a split-second she was rolling and looking for a submission. Rousey quickly transitioned to Zingano's back and locked up an armbar and moments later the fight was over.
Rousey's win broke the record for the fastest finish time in the history of title fights in the UFC. It would be easy to think that her record is now safe forever, but the fact is no one should be surprised if Rousey comes out and tops it the next time she's competing in the Octagon.
For more Ronda Rousey make sure to check out a full slate of programming on FOX Sports 1 Monday night featuring the women's bantamweight champion in some of her most dominant performances.