Think fierce, think fit, think female — and you might arrive at Ronda Rousey.
It seems our favourite MMA superstar just keeps making history. Now the UFC Women’s Bantamweight champion is the first female ever to be on the cover of Men’s Fitness Australia!
Her issue, which hits news stands today in Australia, which will be hosting UFC 193 where she will defend her title against Holly Holm in the promotions biggest stadium event.
For as much as Rousey has already done this year, she is showing no signs of slowing down.
Despite essentially carrying the show single-handedly in her last outing at UFC 190, the show was the most successful of the year and nearly topped 1 million pay-per-view buys.
However, the magazine cover has been met with mixed reviews:
“Ronda Rousey is the best. I’m glad to see her on the cover of men’s fitness,” said one Facebook fan.
Others, however, weren’t so pleased to see her featured so prominently.
“Perhaps consider changing the name of your magazine to multi-sex fitness magazine, or just fitness magazine?” William Hudson suggested.
“What’s next? Johnny Depp on the cover of a Victoria’s Secret ad? This makes zero sense,” said another.
The popular magazine hit back at the negative opinions:
“Ronda is a once-in-a-generation athlete who embodies the spirit and character of this magazine. She is, first and foremost, a supreme fighter.”
“We didn’t retouch. We put her on the cover, but not personally touched to make her more beautiful,” Mr Cole said.
“She is a female, but isn’t defined by her gender.”
UFC 193
UFC 193 is expected to break the all-time attendance record in the promotions history.
The current record is held by UFC 129 at the Rogers Centre and was headlined by former welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre.
This still leaves Rousey with a considerable task ahead of her in “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holly Holm.
The former boxing world champion is the most accomplished challenger to step into the cage with Rousey.
She defeated Racquel Pennington in her UFC debut in February and recently defeated Marion Reneau.
In the latter, Holm displayed a more aggressive style and precise striking.
While Holm has remains undefeated in mixed martial arts, she has also never faced anyone of Rousey’s caliber.
The reigning champion hasn’t seen the second minute of fight in more than a year.
Holm is expected to be more durable than Correia, but she isn’t expected to be the one to finally dethrone the queen of the UFC.
A win over Holm would mean that Rousey has essentially cleaned out the bantamweight division.
As the standings currently are, the only competition left would be with fourth ranked Amanda Nunes who has only one win over a top-ten opponent or a rematch with number one contender Miesha Tate whom Rousey has already defeated twice.
There is also the shadow of Brazilian powerhouse Cris “Cyborg” who could finally make her way to bantamweight for a collision with the champion.
The UFC is seemingly preparing for their biggest show this upcoming summer at UFC 200, which is scheduled to take place at the MGM Grand’s new arena that is being built on the strip in Las Vegas.
If Rousey is healthy following her bout with Holm then it is hard to imagine not seeing her headline the card.
UFC 193: Rousey vs. Holm will be on November 14, live on pay-per-view from Australia.
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