Ronda Rousey – Super Bad Girl Power

May 15, 2015

If you don't know who Ronda Rousey is by now, then you haven't been reading enough sports rags or seen anything related to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Of course, she is the most famous face in her sport, but she is also a product endorser, an action movie actress, and model.

Why would I bother writing an article about her when she already gets plenty of publicity? What angle could I take about this talented athlete? I remember one thing she said in an interview that I believe is the driving force behind many athletes with a highly competitive psyche. She talked about the intense need to not just compete but the overriding fear of failure. She is driven to be the best, and there is no satisfaction in just giving a reasonable effort.

You can spot these types of athletes in any sport. They overcome physical shortcomings, upbringing, team sports limitations, and they rise to the top because they hate failing more than anything in their life. They outwork their competition and never rely on their coaches to motivate them. It is like a hidden superpower that comes out when the competition needs to rise to the next level. They are going to fight and scrape until they have conquered.

Ms. Rousey had an illustrious career in judo which peaked at the 2008 Olympic Games. With that bronze medal victory, she became the first American to win an Olympic medal in women's judo since its inception as an Olympic sport in 1992. She reinvented herself as an MMA fighter champion over the past five years. It is safe to say she started the women's cage fighter movement by being unbeatable and an empowering role model for women. I like the attitude of bravado mixed with a good sense of awareness. She appears to be grounded with humility and respect for her sport. Of course, that humility is left behind once she engages herself in a UFC match-up.

Rousey, as a fighter, mixes technique, power, and speed, as witnessed in her last fight that lasted 14 seconds. The last three fights have lasted a whopping total of 96 seconds. Is there any woman out there who stands a chance to beat her? If there is, she has to be someone with a similar drive and fear of failure.

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