UFC Hall Of Fame: Ronda Rousey Hopes She's 'First Of Many' Women

Ronda Rousey is on her way to becoming a true Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) legend after it was confirmed she will become the first woman to be inducted into the Hall of Fame later this year.

The former UFC women’s bantamweight champion will be conferred the honor at a ceremony in Las Vegas on July 5 where she will join Urijah Faber, Forrest Griffin and B.J. Penn as the 2018 inductees.

Rousey was instrumental in bringing women’s combat fighting to the fore after she became the first woman to sign for the UFC. The women’s division in the UFC will not be what it is today if not for the California-native.

Rousey is among just three fighters – Conor McGregor and Brock Lesnar being the other two – in the history of the UFC to headline multiple events that did at least one million buys on pay-per-view, Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

The 31-year-old held the women’s bantamweight title for over two years before she was displaced by Holly Holm. She has an enviable 12-2 record with all her wins coming via submission or knockout.

“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 wrote alongside a picture confirming her induction on her official Instagram account.

Rousey has yet to officially announce her retirement from the UFC, but an induction into the Hall of Fame could hint she was unlikely to return to the sport that made her a global icon.

Dana White, the UFC president, was confident she was a superstar in the making when he signed her up for the MMA franchise in November 2012. He admitted at the time Rousey had the “it” factor and the pedigree to make it in the sport.

“There would be no women in UFC without Ronda Rousey,” UFC President Dana White said, as per WWE.com. “Ronda is an absolute pioneer who helped me personally, and a lot of other people, look at women in combat sports differently.”

“She accomplished everything she set out to do with UFC and became a global icon and role model in the process. Today, the women’s divisions are packed with incredibly talented fighters, and they produce some of the best fights you’ll ever see. We’re proud to announce her as the final inductee of the 2018 UFC Hall of Fame Class,” he added.

Rousey is currently signed up to perform with WWE’s immensely popular Monday Night Raw brand having made her debut at their flagship pay-per-view event WrestleMania in April earlier this year.

The former UFC champion revealed it was her ultimate dream to be a part of WWE and her popularity from the octagon as transformed to into the square circle. Rousey’s next bout is set to be her first title shot at another WWE pay-per-view event – “Money in the Bank” on June 17.