11 Ways Ronda Rousey Completely Knocked Out 2015

Updated on Dec 30, 2015 at 10:50 AM

Despite her recent devastating defeat against Holly Holm that tainted her 12-0 streak, UFC powerhouse Ronda Rousey still had an incredible year worth recognizing. Not only did she add a few noteworthy titles and skills under her championship belts, but she showed the world exactly why those recognitions are hers. Aside from her obvious amazing athletic prowess, what's most intriguing about Ronda is her ability to penetrate the mainstream — a sad rarity amongst female athletes. Both men and women alike — even those who may not even follow the UFC — have become captivated by not only the athlete, but the story behind her.

"She shares her hardships, she shares her difficulties. She shares in a way that truly makes her human, in a way that makes you like the person underneath the fighter," said Senior Vice President and founder of espnW Laura Gentile. "I think her number one gift is that she's comfortable with who she is — she's very comfortable with speaking her mind. It might be hard to get behind a fighter, but it's certainly not hard to root for Ronda."

And while some may consider her cocky, with Ronda's string of accomplishments, who's to say a little boost of confidence isn't well-deserved? There's a reason she became a household name, and even with a loss, her talent and reach has not been diminished.

"She's earned her right as a world-class athlete . . . she's in a very tough sport, and everybody's gunning for her," Laura said. "She's done a wonderful job of transcending her specific sport, which first of all wasn't even open to women and now she's the biggest headliner in the whole sport."

Recently nominated as "Breakthrough UFC Star" on espnW's 2015 IMPACT25 list, Ronda has been recognized as one of the most influential forces in women's sports alongside Serena Williams, Carli Lloyd, and Misty Copeland. Clearly, her fight against Holly hasn't taken away from her achievements. Here's 11 more reasons that prove why 2015 was "Rowdy" Ronda's year.

She replied to Bethe Correia's sh*t-talking with a 34-second KO.

Brazilian MMA fighter Bethe Correia crossed the line when making a suicide joke (in reference to Ronda's father, who took his own life when she was 8) but Ronda had the ultimate comeback in the ring. It only took Ronda 34 seconds to knock her opponent out.

She never let body-shamers get her down.

In response to all the haters who were vocal about Ronda's body type, she shut them down with this amazing quote: "Just because my body was developed for a purpose other than f*cking millionaires doesn't mean it's masculine. I think it's femininely badass as f*ck, because there's not a single muscle on my body that isn't for a purpose. Because I'm not a do-nothing b*tch."

She made history as Men's Fitness's cover girl.

Men's Fitness Australia featured the Olympic medalist on the cover of their November issue — the first time a woman has ever graced the front. "When women say that going on publications directed at men is somehow demeaning, I don't think that's true. I think that's one really effective way to change the societal standard women are held to," Ronda said.

She broke her own UFC Championship record.

When competing against Cat Zingano for the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship back in February, Ronda ended the fight in a mere 14 seconds. Not only did Ronda beat her impressive 16-second KO from her previous match against Alexis Davis, but she also set a UFC record.

She ranked #1 on Sports Illustrated's pound-for-pound list.

Sports Illustrated's pound-for-pound rankings are based on a fighter's track record — male or female — which placed Ronda at the very top of the list in May. Although her recent loss took her off the list completely, it's quite an accomplishment to have been recognized as the most dominant MMA fighter.

She won the public over with her charm.

Ronda's abilities as a fighter have been undeniable but it wasn't until this year that the world really got to know her outside the ring. Her multiple appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon revealed Ronda's playful and endearing side, making her America's (bad*ss) sweetheart.

She became an author.

Ronda cowrote and released her first book, My Fight/Your Fight, which details the pains and wins of her life both in and out of the octagon.

She made the cover of Sports Illustrated as "the world's most dominant athlete."

In addition to being featured on the cover of Self's November issue, Sports Illustrated honored the 28-year-old's achievements by deeming her "the world's most dominant athlete." Not a bad title to add to one's résumé.

She became an actress.

This past year, Ronda added actress to her impressive list of accomplishments with roles in Furious 7 and the Entourage movie.

She earned the "Best Fighter" ESPY award.

Ronda outshined her male UFC colleagues by taking home one of the most prestigious recognitions of the ESPY awards: Best Fighter. The previous year, she lost to Floyd Mayweather, who claimed to "have no idea who she is." Upon recieving the award, Ronda commented, "I'd like to see you pretend to not know who I am now."

She became an inspiration to women everywhere.

In line with her anti-"do-nothing b*tch" attitude, she confirmed that her success is attributed to none other than hard work. “We seem to be in this conflicting era for women, where women are doing so amazingly and taking over the athletic world, but we’re also in a time where . . . How can I really put it? That women without any skills that freeload are being glorified. That’s something I was raised not to be. That you’re supposed to contribute to the world, not consume from it," she told The New York Times.

In the same interview, she mentioned not minding being the spokesperson for women of her frame: “If I can represent that body type of women that isn’t represented so much in media, then I’d be happy to do that,” she said.