Ronda Rousey is the UFC’s first true crossover star in a long time, and she’s making past examples like Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture look like chumps in comparison. While some inside the fighting world see her as nothing more than a dominant champ in a shallow division, the world outside of fighting can’t stop heaping accolades on her. Like this: She somehow managed to squeak onto Fortune magazine’s “40 Under 40” list.
No, this isn’t 40 Sports Stars Under 40 (which would be a pretty dumb list, if you think about it). It’s the straight 40 Under 40, full of tech CEOs, VPs of Finance, and Big Pharma innovators. Ronda sits in spot No. 40, sticking out like a sore thumb. The only other names somewhat similar to her are Taylor Swift (6) and John Oliver (10), other entertainers with big business influence.
Cynical people might question Ronda’s inclusion in this list and wonder if she’s just there as a publicity stunt. But that would be ignoring the titanic shift she has created not just for women’s mixed martial arts, but for women’s sports in general. Fortune also mentions how “she’s inspiring women everywhere with a recent speech about body image that’s been viewed 3.1 million times and was played on stage by Beyonce in September.”
They don’t reveal that the inspiring speech focuses around “Do Nothing B*tches” … I guess that detail is a little too rowdy for the folks at Fortune, even if Ronda Rousey on the 40 Under 40 isn’t.
(Via Fortune)