Number 5: Ronda Rousey
Women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is a woman on a mission. Her technical expertise and flawless technique cannot be denied, she is without doubt one of the most spectacular athletes competing in the UFC today. Rousey brutally dominates all opponents and currently holds an MMA record of 11-0 with 10 first round finishes. Her background in Olympic Judo gave her a supreme advantage in her early MMA career, since her debut she has embraced the other aspects of mixed martial arts and elevated the sport for women all across the world.
The rules differ from place to place and from one organisation to another, however it is common that once you hit the ground in judo, you have very little time to work before the referee will stand you up. Ronda’s mother taught her to lock on an armbar with incredible speed and efficiency from a very young age. In her most recent bout against Cat Zingano she was able to reverse a takedown and secure a straight armbar from the back in 14 seconds. Her judo takedowns and transitions on the ground are light-years ahead of anyone in her division, and may be the best technical grappling in the UFC today.
Not willing to rely on her judo and armbars alone, Rousey has made incredible strides in the stand up department recently. Finishing Sara McMann with a knee to the body and knocking out Alexis Davis during their first exchange. We have never witnessed such overwhelming dominance inside the octagon, at this stage it is hard to conceive of any situation in which she might lose a fight. At the post fight press conference for UFC 184, Dana White joked that we may have to send her to the men’s division to give her a real challenge. In a world where strength and size were equal, Rowdy Ronda Rousey would be a nightmare match up for any UFC competitor earning her the number 5 spot on our pound for pound list.
