Ronda Rousey was once a dominant force in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) women’s bantamweight division. At times “Rowdy” would finish her opponents faster than the time it took announcer Bruce Buffer to introduce her. The Judo Olympian has held gold in Strikeforce and the UFC, but she quickly became a mainstream figure.
The mainstream media treated her as a pop culture icon and she appeared on talk shows, movies, and commercials. People were even having discussions about her fighting future boxing Hall of Famer Floyd Mayweather. These talks sounded silly then and are certainly unfathomable now, but this is how revered she was.
Two knockout losses later, and the mainstream media is atoning for their mistakes. They have labeled Rousey as a, “creation of the media.” While most mixed martial arts (MMA) purists will tell you that isn’t the case, it’s the only way the mainstream media can explain her downfall inside the Octagon.
Rousey’s devastating losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes have brought on some ruthless Internet memes. Perhaps “Rowdy” can shoulder some of the blame, as she decided to abandon the press leading up to her fight with “The Lioness.” Outside of a statement sent to ESPN, Rousey has been silent.
Even Bellator welterweight Michael Page poked fun at “Rowdy’s” performance at the final UFC card of 2016. “Venom” created a dance called, “Do the Rousey.” In the video, Page stumbles around and imitates Rousey getting hit.
UFC heavyweight Travis Browne caught wind of “Venom’s” video and threatened him in a now deleted tweet. Browne is Rousey’s boyfriend. Page didn’t stop there as he posted a video of Rousey getting tagged by Nunes with the title, “When you get coached by your FRIENDS.”
The former women’s 135-pound champion recently took to her Instagram account to post a J.K. Rowling quote:
