Ronda Rousey will be one of three models to be on three separate covers of the annual Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.
Rousey will be on the cover of the magazine along with Ashley Graham and Hailey Clauson. The reveal of the covers came Saturday night on Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2016 Revealed which aired on TNT immediately after the NBA All-Star Saturday night.
Via SI on the reason for choosing Rousey on the cover:
“Ronda Rousey is a cultural phenomenon. She is the perfect combination of beauty, brains, brawn and humility. She possesses a spirit bigger than the space around her, and it is both infectious and inspiring. She’s a Phoenix, as fiery and beautiful as any mythical creature ever depicted.”
Payout Perspective:
Despite the unique accomplishment for Rousey, the MMA community was mixed on the reveal. While mainstream fans are still Rousey fans despite her loss to Holly Holm in November, the always opinionated MMA fan do not like the choice. Regardless, the cover shows the ascension of Rousey’s brand and the fact that she should have an exit strategy after fighting.
d says
This must kill the haters. She’s even more popular now despite the loss.
The Greatest says
Not really. If you notice, Rousey is never big enough to carry something. Its “Hey Rouseys on the cover of the UFC game, with McGregor.” Or “Rousey is on SI, but as 1 of the 3 covers”
Careers over
jf says
“She is the perfect combination of beauty, brains, brawn and humility.”
Humility??? GTFO She’s a bitch and a bully, It’s funny how non-MMA fans are sold this fake image of her and that’s why they were so shock to see everyone celebrating her defeat.
And D is right, there’s no one in the boxing world or MMA world that’s THIS popular and famous. You’d have to go back to Mike Tyson to find the equivalent.
d says
Haha. That’s why she has a number of lead movie roles coming up along with being all over the place in ads, SI covers, etc. Her career is bigger than ever right now.
Diego says
Her acting and modeling career is bigger than ever. But if she wants to continue her sports career (the only career of hers that I care about) she needs to get back in the gym. She’s at risk of becoming the Kardashian of MMA – all the fame and none of the talent.
Here’s a brief list of people who dominate their sports (and make millions doing so):
– Djokovic
– Gronkowski (though I hate the cheatin’ Pats)
– Russel Wilson (I’m a Seahawks fan)
– Messi
– Ronaldo
– S. Williams
– Phelps
What do they all have in common? They are dedicated to their sport. They are not making movies or doing model shoots. When they take a tough loss they immediately get back to training to learn and improve. That’s what I would like to see from Rousey, aka “The Most Dominant Athlete on the Planet” (according to SI, the same people who now have her on the cover).
If Ronda had dominated Holly Holm, I wouldn’t care about all of her extra-curricular activities. In fact, I would welcome them because they increase visibility on the sport. But she didn’t win. She needs to get back to real work.
d says
Diego,
You can’t call her a Kardashian or say she has fame and no talent. You could only argue that she’d be washed up, because she’s proven she has the talent. She’s accomplished by far, 10x more than any other woman mma fighter. No one is even close. I do agree she should focus on her mma career, but it seems like she was planning on taking a break anyway prior to the Holm fight.
Also, on a side note, in what way, shape or form has Russel Wilson dominated anything? He was a game manager in the only SB they won, threw 4 ints in last year’s championship game where everyone else bailed him out and series of miraculous plays were the only reason for a repeat SB appearance, threw the game losing int in the SB and he has been carried by his running game/arguably one of the best defenses of all time.
Diego says
He won the SB as a rookie and carried the team to the playoffs this year. Replace Russel Wilson with Tom Brady if you prefer – same point. And I agree about Seattle’s defence, though this season it fell short.
I think Ronda was dominant, but far from the most dominant fighter. Cyborg has been pistol-whipping opponents for 10+ years now. And before his recent loss Klitschko had an absolute stranglehold on boxing. I can’t remember seeing him lose a round in the decade prior to the Tyson Fury fight. Unfortunately, Cyborg isn’t as pretty as Ronda and Klitschko is boring and foreign. And neither one has Ronda’s management agency. That’s the difference.
d says
Wilson was as effective in that SB as Manning was in this past one. They were both irrelevant and could have been replaced by anyone who wouldn’t turn the ball over. This season Seattle wouldn’t have made it past the wild card rd, had Walsh not missed a 27yd fg. Watch the way defenses play Wilson. I’ll give you a hint- they never play cover 2, they strive to keep him in the pocket and the safeties are nearly always close to the line of scrimmage. I’ll take Brady as a good example.
Okay, so your point about Cyborg has to be a joke, right? She shouldn’t even be permitted to fight anywhere. She is a blatant cheater who has never fought clean in her career and is a disgrace to the sport.
Again, you are mixing apples and oranges with this argument. I never mentioned other sports or even the men’s mma division. My point was women’s mma. She has been the most dominant woman fighter ever- anyone that disputes that, just doesn’t like who she is, because it is a reality.
Diego says
My point is that she’s been called the “Most Dominant Athlete in the World”. That includes men and women in all sports. I think it’s a stupid title to have given her. When I give examples to disprove that title, I pull data points from both genders and all sports.
And no, I’m not joking about Cyborg. She failed one test (that I know of). I get that her physique is suspicious, but you have to catch her cheating if you want to discount her entire career.
Rousey’s dominance always had a great deal of marketing behind it. Yes, she dominated, but not nearly to the degree that the non-MMA press thought she did. Just because other athletes aren’t on Jimmy Kimmel and Ellen Degeneress (sp?) or starring in “The Expendables V – this time they’re really really old” doesn’t make them less dominant in their sports.
Diego says
Anderson Silva was more dominant when he dominated – in multiple weight classes. And no one called him “The Most Dominant Athlete in the World”.
d says
More deleted comments. Interesting. Any explanation for why? Still unsure why Tops rants on here with no moderation what so ever.