How Would the UFC Landscape Shift if Ronda Rousey Never Lost? (2024)

By Edcel Panganiban August 09, 2024 02:09

Photo by L.E. Baskow

Ronda Rousey is frequently cited as the face of women's MMA and has helped widen UFC's interest. Those combined factors helped revolutionize women's MMA and take it to new heights before the world was introduced to Ronda. That all changed when she came upon her first career loss against Holly Holm at UFC 193 in November 2015. In this piece, Fan Arch goes back to early 2015 and imagines how the landscape would be different if Rousey had never lost since then, ranging from what a continued version of her dominance does for women's MMA to some hypothetical rivalries that now might have happened.

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Rouseys Legacy of Destroying Women's Divisions

Had she somehow remained unbeaten, Ronda Rousey's long-term supremacy would have placed her unchallenged as the greatest UFC champion ever. Rousey was a specialist in Judo and submissions, often submitting her opponents early in the first round. With an undefeated record, Rousey probably dropped out after winning a few more fights than her destiny held for the bantamweight title so she could have a longer reign and face different challenges.

Effects On The Women's Division

Rousey's sustained excellence would have made the women's divisions even more of a priority for the UFC. Although the organization would soon be expanding its roster of female fighters, an undefeated Rousey could very well have fast-tracked that growth. The UFC could have brought in more weight classes to make room for the new talent, and it may have helped legitimize women's MMA as a top-tier competitive sport.

Growth of Women's MMA

If somehow Rousey's undefeated run were only broken long after Ambrose and www. Literally during her rule, she could sell tickets like nobody has ever seen and draw pay-per-view buys. Its star grew brighter from being in the global spotlight. Still, if her wins had kept multiplying more and faster than they already were, maybe it could have continued to use that exposure as a lure.

PPV Numbers & Marketing

Rousey's fights were some of the highest-grossing pay-per-view events in UFC history. One way she draws is at the pay window; for example, her UFC 190 fight against Bethe Correia made over a million buys. For all we know, had Rousey never lost, the next fight or two might have shattered even more records and turned her into a permanent top-billing act for UFC.

Rivalries in Making and How They Could Grow

With her persistent success, she would have completely shifted the landscape of women's MMA. Rivalries will always be the cornerstone of any sport, and they could only have been bested by a victorious, undefeated Rousey being beaten at some point in her fine form.

Impact on Amanda Nunes

Without an undefeated Rousey standing in her way, this is the path Amanda Nunes could have pursued to become a two-division champion and one of the greatest female fighters ever. Rousey fell to Nunes at UFC 207, her first about since being crushed by Holly Holm. If Rousey hadn't lost, Nunes may have had to wait longer for her big shot at the title, which could slow down the progression of her career. That delay could have shifted her confidence and growth as a fighter and irrevocably changed the narrative of who she was in MMA.

The Role of Holly Holm

Had Rousey stayed unbeaten, Holm may have gotten different recognition and chances. Not only would Holm have taken a different career path, perhaps continuing to box or signing on with another promotion after all, UFC wasn't the raging financial success it is today, but no Rousey fight means likely proven somewhat trickier for Holm.

Wider Implications for the UFC

The fallout from Rousey's sustained dominance means more than sad faces and woozy fighters. Her undefeated record would have affected how the UFC marketed her, their PPV revenue, and overall performance.

Marketing Strategies

The UFC could have easily spun the above into marketing Rousey as a real-life superhero, an unbeatable female against men and women alike. This would have gotten more attention from the broader media, which could eventually bring pieces into film and TV. Rousey could have parlayed her work in Hollywood, including appearances in Furious 7 and The Expendables 3 movies, into nonstop attention on herself and the UFC headlining one of its cards.

PPV Earnings and Exposure

Pay-per-view revenues are the lifeblood of UFC's financial profitability. Rousey likely would have continued laying waste to the fighters who challenged her, leading to higher pay-per-view numbers and, thus, more profits for the UFC. This may have, in turn, helped uplift fighter salaries, event production, and the sport as a whole.

Re-Routing Other High-Level UFC Fighters

Rousey's undefeated aura would have changed the course for other top UFC fighters. Some fighters like Joanna Jedrzejczyk, who climbed to become a dominant title holder in the strawweight division, may have met other roadblocks. The competitive landscape would have changed; that much is certain with how Rousey herself altered the progress of fighters who came after her.

The Evolution of Women's MMA

Further success for Rousey would have raised the bar for women getting into a sport dominated by male athletes. It would raise the bar for skill, athleticism, and marketability, naturally making future generations of fighters better. Perhaps this evolution would have resulted in a competitive landscape that encouraged the development of women's MMA to be taken seriously.

If Ronda Rousey never loses, the UFC world looks drastically different. Her further dominance would have enshrined her as an all-time great, changed the trajectory of female MMA, and halted a burgeoning number of fighters. The UFC marketing machine would use her unbeaten streak to recruit new fans and break records for pay-per-view.

In the end, Rousey would have done everything even greater justice, and her presence in the sport could well be immortalized as a champion who opened up new doors to many women of later years who found their path within fighting.

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