From Olympic Judoka to Global Superstar: The Rise, Reign, $14 Million Legacy of Ronda Rousey
Ronda Rousey stands as one of the most influential female athletes of the modern era, a figure whose impact reshaped combat sports and expanded into professional wrestling and Hollywood. With an estimated net worth of $14 million, Rousey’s career is defined not only by titles and earnings, but by barriers broken and new paths forged for women in sport.
Born February 1, 1987, in Riverside County, California, Ronda Jean Rousey faced adversity from birth. Complications at delivery left her with a speech disorder that persisted into early childhood. Her upbringing was further shaped by tragedy when her father died by suicide in 1995, leaving her mother, AnnaMaria De Mars, to raise her children alone. De Mars herself was a pioneer — the first American woman to win a World Judo Championship — and she became Rousey’s earliest and most influential coach.
Rousey began training in judo at age 11 and quickly displayed exceptional talent. At just 17, she qualified for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, becoming the youngest judo competitor at the event. Her historic breakthrough came four years later at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where she won a bronze medal, becoming the first American woman to medal in Olympic judo. She retired from competitive judo shortly afterward at age 21.
Following a difficult transition period, Rousey turned to mixed martial arts in 2010. Training with Team Hayastan and later Glendale Fighting Club, she made her professional MMA debut in August 2010 and rose rapidly through the ranks. Her aggressive style and signature armbar finishes made her a phenomenon, with many of her early fights ending in under a minute.
In 2011, she captured the Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Championship, and in 2012 she became the first female fighter signed by the UFC, where she was crowned the inaugural UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion. Rousey defended her title against top contenders including Liz Carmouche, Miesha Tate, Sara McMann, Alexis Davis, Cat Zingano, and Bethe Correia, turning women’s MMA into a mainstream attraction.
Her dominance came to a sudden halt in 2015 when she suffered a knockout loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193. A year later, she returned but was defeated by Amanda Nunes at UFC 207. Despite the setbacks, Rousey’s influence remained unmatched, and she was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018.
Financial disclosures later revealed the scale of her drawing power. Court filings showed that Rousey earned approximately $18 million from just seven UFC fights between 2013 and 2016. Some of her biggest disclosed payouts included $4.4 million against Holly Holm, $4.8 million against Amanda Nunes, $2.6 million against Bethe Correia, and $1.8 million against Miesha Tate. For her final UFC appearance, she reportedly earned $3 million just to show up, underscoring her status as a pay-per-view superstar.
In 2018, Rousey made another high-profile transition, this time to WWE. She debuted at WrestleMania 34 and quickly became one of the company’s top female stars. Over her wrestling career, she won the Raw Women’s Championship, became a three-time WWE Women’s World Champion, secured two reigns as SmackDown Women’s Champion, and won the 2022 Women’s Royal Rumble before stepping away from full-time competition.
Beyond combat sports, Rousey found success in film and television. Her acting credits include The Expendables 3, Furious 7, Entourage, Mile 22, and a recurring role on the series 9-1-1. She also hosted Saturday Night Live in 2016, further cementing her crossover appeal.
Endorsement deals with brands such as Reebok, Monster Energy, Carl’s Jr., and MetroPCS boosted her earnings significantly, with peak annual income reaching $14 million in 2015 alone.
In her personal life, Rousey married former UFC fighter Travis Browne in 2017. The couple welcomed their daughter in 2021. Today, Rousey focuses on family life and sustainable living, managing multiple properties in California and Oregon collectively known as “Browsey Acres,” where she practices ethical farming.
From Olympic history-maker to UFC pioneer, WWE champion, and Hollywood presence, Ronda Rousey’s career reflects resilience, reinvention, and lasting influence. Her legacy goes far beyond titles and money — she helped change how the world views women in combat sports and proved that strength, star power, and impact can coexist across multiple arenas.
From Olympic Judoka to Global Superstar: The Rise, Reign, $14 Million Legacy of Ronda Rousey