Ronda Rousey Issues Statement on UFC Hall of Fame Induction

Those she’s never officially uttered the words “I’m retired,” former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey will become the first woman ever inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.

UFC officials announced Rousey’s induction during UFC 225 on Saturday in Chicago.

“This is an immense honor, to not only take part in bringing women to the forefront of this sport, but now the Hall of Fame. May I be the first of many,” Rousey said in reaction to the announcement.

Rousey wasn’t the first woman to forge a path in mixed martial arts, in fact, there were many pioneering women that came before her. But Rousey was the one that had a charisma never before seen in the MMA world that convinced the biggest fight promotion in the world, the UFC, to open the cage door to women for the first time.

Brought over from Strikeforce, where she held the bantamweight title for that promotion, Rousey was immediately inaugurated as the first female UFC champion, winning her first six bouts in the Octagon before losing her last two.

Rousey’s overall record stands at 12-2 with 9 of her wins coming by way of armbar, while the other three were knockouts.

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