NBCUNIVERSAL UPFRONT EVENTS -- 2018 NBCUniversal Upfront in New York City on Monday, May 14, 2018 -- Pictured: Ronda Rousey, "WWE" on USA Network -- (Photo by: Paul Drinkwater/NBCUniversal) (2018 NBCUniversal Media, LLC)
The UFC has announced that Ronda Rousey will be inducted into its Hall of Fame next month thanks to her pioneering work in establishing a women’s division of the popular mixed martial arts sport.
The news was announced Saturday during UFC 225 in Chicago that Rousey will be honored during a ceremony at the Palms Casino Resort. The fighter, who recently began her career in the WWE, debuted in 2013 and continued an impressive win streak including a U.S. Olympic bronze medal in judo.
In her division, according to the Los Angeles Times, she holds the records for four of the five fastest finishes in UFC women’s bantamweight history. She ended her five-year career with a 12-2 record, ending her professional time in the octagon after back-to-back losses.
“There would be no women in UFC without Ronda Rousey,” UFC President Dana White said in a prepared statement to multiple media outlets. “Ronda is an absolute pioneer who helped me — and a lot of other people — look at women in combat sports differently.”
“This is an immense honor, to not only take part in bringing women to the forefront of this sport, but now the UFC Hall of Fame,” Rousey said in a statement. “May I be the first of many.”
As previously reported, Rousey signed a full-time deal with the WWE. She made her debut at Wrestlemania 34 where she defeated Stephanie McMahon and her husband, Triple H with her signature armbar.
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