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Ronda Rousey is one of the biggest names in sports today. She was the first woman to hold a Championship in the UFC, and now she is the WWE Raw Women's Champion.
It is safe to say that Rousey has achieved a lot of success in her career. But that does not mean that everything has come easily for her. On the contrary, she has had to overcome a lot of obstacles to make it to where she is today.
Lets take a look at 5 things that you probably didn't know about Ronda Rousey.
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#5 She could not speak till she was five
Rousey had a difficult childhood. She was born with her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. As a result she was deprived of oxygen and could not speak while growing up. Finally at the age of 5, she was able to overcome her difficulties and started to speak after years of speech therapy.
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So while the WWE fans have been quick to blame her because of her awkward promos, most of them actually do not know the reason why she speaks in the manner that she does. Her slow and flat speech is due to the problems that she faced while growing up, and it is just her way of making sure that she does not make any mistakes while speaking.
#4 She loves playing video games
One thing most people are not aware about Rousey is her obsession with video games. While her love for Pokemon has been well documented in the past, it does not stop there. She is also a huge fan of World of Warcraft, and loves playing Mario Kart as well.
In an interview with ESPN, her sister even revealed that she played just video games for two weeks after each of her UFC fights as a way to relax.
But Rousey is not just a gamer. She is also involved in creating games. She actually serves as a storyline consultant for 7 Generation Games, a company that is known to make education games for children.
#3 She has always been a wrestling fan
It is safe to say that Ronda Rousey is financially set for life. She does not need to work another day in order to pay the bills. So her wrestling career is purely out of her love and respect for the sport.
In reality, Ronda Rousey has been a wrestling fan for her entire life. She even recounts a tale of her getting a Hulk Hogan doll for her third birthday in her autobiography. And then how she used to sleep with that doll at night.
She even made an appearance at WrestleMania 31 while still signed to the UFC. Her love for wrestling is clear for all to see. Maybe it is because of this that the WWE Universe have been so receptive of her from the very beginning.
#2 She was the first woman to fight in the UFC
Today, the women's division is an integral part of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and has four separate weight classes of its own. But once upon a time women fighting in the UFC was seen as an impossibility.
In fact, when a reporter had asked UFC President, Dana White when the fans could expect to see women in the Octagon, his answer was an emphatic 'never'.
It was Ronda Rousey who changed the stance of the company regarding women. As a matter of fact, she was the first female fighter to sign with the UFC. She was also announced as the first ever UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion before ever entering the Octagon.
She would go on to defend her belt for the first time in February 2013 against Liz Carmouche, and win with her signature Armbar inside the very first round. Since then she has gone on to earn legendary status inside the Octagon, and is already a member of the UFC Hall of Fame.
#1 She has a connection with WWE Legend Roddy Piper
In case you didn't know already, Rousey's favourite WWE Superstar is Roddy Piper. In fact, her 'Rowdy' nickname is a tribute to him. But originally she was reluctant to use 'Rowdy' as her nickname, as she felt it would be disrespectful to the legend. But after meeting Piper in 2012, she actually directly got permission from him to use 'Rowdy'.
But their connection just doesn't end here. She even dedicated her fight with Bethe Correia at UFC 190 to him, after Piper had passed away tragically just a few months back. Rousey won the fight in just 34 seconds, and it was a fitting tribute to the man who gave his own nickname to her.
Rousey again paid tribute to her hero when she made her first appearance in the WWE at the Royal Rumble earlier this year. The leather jacket that she wore on that night actually belonged to Roddy Piper, and was given to Rousey by his son.
