When Michael Phelps & Ronda Rousey Both Appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Magazine

Ronda Rousey, at one point, was the face of women’s MMA. Her fiery attitude, combined with elite judo skills, separated her from the pack as she managed to draw attention to the women’s bantamweight division in the UFC. ‘Rowdy’ has also done various amazing things outside the octagon. For example, she was featured on a magazine’s swimsuit cover alongside her Olympic teammate Michael Phelps.

Ronda Rousey first appeared on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover in 2015. She posed on a beach wearing a wild cat swimsuit which looked stunning on the former UFC star. She also appeared on the magazine cover the following year. In the 2016 cover, she wore body paint and was one of the three cover models.

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Rousey’s Olympic teammate and famous professional swimmer Michael Phelps also appeared on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover. In the 2012 edition, Phelps posed alongside Israeli model and TV host Bar Refaeli. The pair wore all black and posed on top of a floor covered with half an inch of water.

UFC Career of Ronda Rousey

Ronda Rousey had a bittersweet career in the UFC. Being a champion in Judo, Rousey grabbed a lot of attention when she transitioned to the UFC.

She had a meteoric rise in the UFC after winning the women’s bantamweight title in 2013. Rousey then successfully defended the title five times, including wins over big names such as – Miesha Tate and Cat Zingano. At this point, Rousey was considered the most dangerous fighter in women’s UFC due to her iconic yet brutal armbar finishes.

Rousey had become a superstar in the UFC, which was the peak of her career. But sadly for her, things would come crashing down when she met Holly Holm in the octagon for her next bout. Holm knocked out Rousey with an iconic head kick which fans still remember to this day. Just like that, the invincible Rousey lost her belt.

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Rousey wanted to avenge her loss by winning back the belt, but unfortunately for her, things would go down south yet again. Amanda Nunes knocked Rousey out 48 seconds into round 1. After this loss, Rousey retired from the UFC and transitioned into the WWE.

What did you think of the swimsuit covers? Let us know by dropping your opinions in the comments below.