Ronda Rousey becomes first woman inductee in UFC Hall of Fame

LAS VEGAS — Ronda Rousey, who dominated the women's mixed martial arts division with a string of convincing victories over a three-year period, became the first woman inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame on Thursday, ESPN reported.

Rousey, 31, was the UFC's first women's champion. As the company's bantamweight champion, she held the title from 2012 to 2015 and defended the belt six times. She won her first 12 mixed martial arts matches -- all by submission -- and appeared unbeatable until she was stunned in November 2015 by Holly Holm in a second-round loss. A comeback match against Amanda Nunes in December 2016 ended in a 48-second loss in the first round. Rousey has not competed in mixed martial arts since and signed with the WWE in January, ESPN reported.

“I am not the first person who had the ability to do this, but I am here because I am the first person you took the time to watch, that you put the energy into supporting," Rousey said during her induction speech in Las Vegas at the Pearl Theatre. “Because of you, I am the first woman standing up here accepting this incredible honor. May I be the first of many."

Rousey won a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, becoming the first American woman to win a medal in judo. Rousey debuted in the UFC in 2013, defeating Liz Carmouche in the UFC’s first women’s fight.

"In my almost 18 years as UFC president, I've learned many valuable lessons," UFC president Dana White said as he presented Rousey. "And the one that comes to mind tonight is never say never, especially when you're talking to UFC. In my defense, when I famously said women would never fight in the UFC, I had never met Ronda Rousey. I had never met the woman who would change everything. She started by changing my mind and she ended up changing the world."

Cox Media Group