“You’re Going to Be the First…”: Ronda Rousey Recalls Her First Meeting With Dana White After His Statement Against Women in the UFC

Whenever we talk about women in the UFC, Ronda Rousey is a name that stands out. She became the first woman fighter to appear in a UFC PPV and a WWE PPV, long before all this happened and after her Bronze medal in the Olympics, Ronda Rousey was strengthening her position in the MMA world when she first met UFC president, Dana White.

In her memoir, ‘My Fight/ Your Fight’, Ronda Rousey described how things unfolded for her on her journey to the gates of the most successful MMA promotion, the UFC. She was having a good run in ‘Strikeforce’ when Dana White saw her fighting and extended her an offer.

Ronda Rousey recalls her first meeting with Dana White

In her 5th Pro-MMA fight Ronda Rousey had to fight Sarah Kaufman. She was not in her best shape and her shoulder was giving her a lot of pain. Yet Rousey trusted her abilities and was ready to fight through her injury. As she went into the fight she fought through the pain and took control of the fight. She recalled, “I opened with a triple jab, ignoring the pain. She backed up against the cage to defend my first throw attempt. I switched my grip, changed direction, and swept her back. I struck her on the ground to force the reaction I wanted and spun straight into my armbar. She fought hard to keep it, but her arm was mine. Fifty-four seconds into the fight, she tapped out. The crowd went wild. Sitting front row and center was Dana White.”

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While this was the first time Dana White had watched a Ronda Rousey fight, it wasn’t the last. Dana White soon called Ronda Rousey and informed her that she was going to the UFC.

Ronda Rousey becomes the first woman UFC fighter

Dana White called Ronda Rousey to an upscale restaurant called Mr. Chow. While Rousey was counting the meeting itself as a success, there was a surprise in store for her. While Rousey was enjoying her time eating and drinking with the face of the UFC. Dana White told Rousey the reason he had called her to the specific restaurant. Dana White explained how a year earlier he had announced in the same restaurant that the UFC will never have woman fighters. He then went on to tell Ronda Rousey that she was going to be the first-ever woman UFC fighter.

A bantamweight champion with six title defenses and all her victories were finishes, Ronda Rousey had an inspired run in the UFC.  She opened up the promotion for so many women fighters. Today she is a superstar in the WWE. Do you think Ronda Rousey is the greatest woman fighter of all time in the UFC? Let us know.

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