Ronda Rousey

 Ronda Rousey exploded onto the women's MMA scene in the summer of the year 2010. She was born in Riverside County, California on February 1, 1987, to parents Ron Rousey and AnnMaria DeMars Little Ronda was born with an umbilical cord tied around her neck which caused damage to the vocal cords of her mother. Ronda was unable to speak coherently until she was six years old. Ronda was an unabashed tomboy who competed in swimming between 6 and 10 years of age. Ronda was an openly confessed tomboy. She was a member on the Jr. Olympic swimming team and was a state champion at the state level. Her mother, who was a 7th Degree Black Belt and 1984 World Judo Champion in 1984 was a strong advocate for Ronda to pursue the sport. She was a bit hesitant being social with other children and discovered that Judo made her feel confident. Ronda has a 4th degree Black Belt in Judo. At 17 she became the youngest judoka of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. In the same year, she also won the gold medal in the World Junior Judo Championships in Budapest In 2006 she was the first judoka from the U.S.