During tonight’s (June 9, 2018) UFC 225 pay-per-view (PPV) from Chicago, Illinois, the Ultimate Fighting Championship officially announced that current WWE Superstar Ronda Rousey will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame on July 5 as a part of the “Modern Wing.”
Thank you for the memories.
— UFC (@ufc) June 10, 2018
Thank you for breaking down barriers.
Thank you from all the fans and from the UFC. @RondaRousey #UFC225 pic.twitter.com/IEf5mOi9FZ
Rousey is largely responsible for helping women break into the UFC, as company President Dana White was negative on it for many years until he became enamored with Rousey and the way she was tearing through each of her opponents. As she continued her rise, he changed his tune and eventually welcomed women to the Octagon.
She was, for a time, the biggest star in the promotion, drawing big buyrates on PPV. Eventually, the competition caught up to her and she lost back-to-back fights via knockout. That’s what sent her away from MMA and to professional wrestling, where she is now just one week away from challenging Nia Jax for the Raw women’s championship at Money in the Bank.
It’s entirely possible, then, that she’ll be a WWE champion as she’s inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.