Ronda Rousey continues to break barriers with her presence, as she’ll become just the second woman – and first mixed martial arts fighter – to appear on the cover of Ring Magazine.
The boxing publication will feature her in their January 2016 issue, and they posted the cover to Instagram on Monday. Rousey’s featured in a boxing robe with one MMA glove and one boxing glove, and the story teases: “She Conquered MMA. Is Boxing Next?”
Check it out below:
The rarity of this appearance is highlighted by the fact that the last woman to appear on a cover of the magazine was Cathy “Cat” Davis. In 1978.
Penick’s Analysis: There are a number of highly negative comments from boxing fans on that Instagram post, which is perhaps unsurprising given a general lack of respect for MMA fighters in general, let along a female grappler with limited striking experience. That said, it’s just further evidence of the type of draw Rousey has become. She’s transcended MMA as a sport and the UFC as a brand, a rare feat given how much they’ve stressed those letters as an organization over the fighters themselves. Rousey’s a beast unto herself at this point, and I don’t think anyone’s surprised by that fact.
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