Rousey became the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in Judo, capturing bronze at the Summer Games in Beijing.

On Feb. 23, Rousey, who is undefeated, defended her belt and won the UFC's first women's bout, beating Liz Carmouche in the first round of their bantamweight title fight at UFC 157.

While male fighters and athletes have a long tradition of crossing over from sport to screen, women are less known for making the transition. Gina Carano, another MMA fighter, famously segued into acting when she starred in the 2012 Steven Soderbergh action film Haywire. She also is set to appear in Fast & Furious 6.