Ronda Rousey was a game-changer.
After a decorated career as an amateur judoka, Rousey made the transition to mixed martial arts, put together a successful run in Strikeforce and blazed a trail to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where she helped tear down the last remaining barriers for women in MMA. Few have enjoyed such a dominant run at the top, short-lived though it might have been. Rousey stopped her first 11 opponents, 10 of them inside one round. Included among those were finishes of 14, 16, 25 (twice), 34, 39, 49, 54 and 66 seconds. In time, she was the most marketable fighter in the sport, parlaying her rise into crossover stardom. Rousey hit the cover the Sports Illustrated…
