Explaining Ronda Rousey's armbar -- and why she sh...
Key takeaways
- That's a term typically used to diminish someone for their limitations, but Rousey found unlimited success in her one trick.
- Rousey brought the finishing move with her from judo, the sport in which she won Olympic bronze in 2008.
- The Rousey armbar became MMA's version of the Mike Tyson knockout punch.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
That's a term typically used to diminish someone for their limitations, but Rousey found unlimited success in her one trick. There was an aura of invincibility to her race to the front of the MMA pack. She didn't break stride on the way to saddling up the shiniest star power the sport had ever seen. Rousey performed a magic act with just that one trick.
Rousey brought the finishing move with her from judo, the sport in which she won Olympic bronze in 2008. The technique, which involves isolating an opponent's arm and using leverage to hyperextend the elbow joint and force a submission, was her go-to maneuver from the moment she transitioned to MMA. After winning three amateur fights, all by armbar in under a minute, Rousey turned professional in 2011 and continued collecting arms in no time. She won her first eight pro fights by armbar, all but one of those finishes coming in the opening round. Five times she twisted her opponent into submission in less than a minute.
The Rousey armbar became MMA's version of the Mike Tyson knockout punch. For opponents, the finish was inevitable, but at least over quickly. For fans, the inevitable finish left them wanting more.