Photos: The Ronda Rousey you may not know

Sports

Photos: The Ronda Rousey you may not know

You may know Ronda Rousey for her prowess in mixed martial arts, but the undefeated UFC fighter has been a superstar for far longer than her five-year dominance in MMA.

You may know Ronda Rousey for her prowess in mixed martial arts, but the undefeated UFC fighter has been a superstar for far longer than her five-year dominance in MMA.

A 4th-degree black belt in judo, Ronda Rousey (shown here competing in Atlanta in 2004) was first named to the U.S. Olympic team at age 15, and at 16 she became the youngest American to earn the national No. 1 ranking in the women's half-middleweight division. She competed in the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics.

Women's judo was added as an Olympic sport in 1992. Ronda Rousey was the first U.S. woman to earn an Olympic medal in judo - 70kg judo middleweight division - at the Summer Olympics in Beijing in 2008.

Ronda Rousey retired from judo at age 21. A World Junior champion, she won gold at the 2007 Pan American Games while competing with a torn knee meniscus.

Ronda Rousey joined the mixed martial arts circuit in 2010, winning her first fight in just 23 seconds. She has remained undefeated, claiming the UFC Bantamweight (135 pounds) Championship in 2012.

Ronda Rousey, the UFC Bantamweight (135 pounds) title holder, has won 11 of her 12 fights in the first round. Her quickest win was 14 seconds in February 2015, by armbar, a move in which she places her legs across the opponent's chest, and holds one arm between her thighs with the elbow joint against her hips.

Ronda Rousey is an author. Her book, "My Fight / Your Fight" debuted in May and was a New York Times bestseller.

Ronda Rousey has been vocal on women's issues ranging from ring girls to domestic abuse.

Ronda Rousey is a media darling. She has been appeared in action films "The Expendables 3" (2014) and "Furious 7" (2015), and had a feature role in the "Entourage" (2015) movie.

In July, Ronda Rousey accepted the ESPY for the Best Female Athlete - and deservedly so. In her two bouts this year, she defeated her opponents Bethe Correia (knockout by punch) and Cat Zingano (submission by armbar) in less then 50 seconds, combined.

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You may know Ronda Rousey for her prowess in mixed martial arts, but the undefeated UFC fighter has been a superstar for far longer than her five-year dominance in MMA.

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