2. Olympic History
Before anyone in MMA knew Rousey, she was traveling the globe in judo tournaments and winning many of them. She qualified for the Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, in 2004 at the age of 17, making her the youngest judoka at the Games that year. Four years later, she became the first American woman to medal in judo at the Olympics.
Rousey captured bronze at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where she defeated Annett Boehm by yuko in the third-place match. The accomplishment went largely unnoticed by the American public, a common occurrence for niche sports like judo. Rousey transitioned to MMA soon after, began appearing on amateur cards and started a rash of armbar finishes that would eventually lead to superstardom.
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