Ronda Rousey is preparing for what she says will likely be the final MMA fight of her career, but the former champion is also reflecting on the impact she believes she has had across combat sports — including WWE.
Ahead of her highly anticipated fight against Gina Carano this weekend, Rousey spoke with The Takedown on SI and discussed the influence she feels she has had on opportunities for women in mixed martial arts, boxing, and professional wrestling.
According to Rousey, the success and visibility women now receive in combat sports is something she takes great pride in helping create.
“I’m very aware that women are headlining WWE because of me,” Rousey said.
The former UFC star explained that proving women could become major draws financially helped open doors for future generations across multiple industries.
“Women are headlining and making big paydays in boxing because of me. In bare-knuckle boxing, in full-contact karate, in everything that’s a contact sport,” she said.
Rousey added that she feels proud watching women continue to succeed at the highest level today, even if many fans may not fully realize how different things were before her rise to stardom.
“I’m very proud of seeing all the success the women are having because I was able to prove their commercial viability,” Rousey explained.
Ronda Rousey made history in WWE when she competed in the first-ever women’s match to headline WrestleMania, facing Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair in a triple threat main event at WrestleMania 35 in 2019.
That match became one of the defining moments of WWE’s women’s evolution era and marked the conclusion of Rousey’s first run with the company. She later returned for a second WWE stint from 2022 to 2023.
Now, Rousey’s attention turns back to MMA for one final showdown against Gina Carano in Netflix’s first-ever live MMA special event.
The fight takes place Saturday night at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, with the event streaming live beginning at 9 p.m. Eastern.
Rousey has stated multiple times during recent interviews that she does not currently plan to fight again after facing Carano, calling the matchup the perfect ending to her MMA career.
Even so, her comments about legacy are already creating discussion among wrestling and MMA fans — especially regarding her role in helping women become headline attractions across major sports entertainment platforms.
