Sports Illustrated World's Most Dominant Athlete
- Thread starter Xue Sheng
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I wouldn't say she as the 'worlds' most dominant athlete, most of the world has never heard of her, MMA is still a niche market.
I doubt she's even America's most dominant, you have the Williams sisters for a start.
I doubt she's even America's most dominant, you have the Williams sisters for a start.
Steve
Mostly Harmless
Serena Williams, maybe. Venus is currently ranked... what, like 20? But, it's a poll. It's not a scientific study.
I think Rhonda Rousey is a good pick. She's head and shoulders above anyone else in her field. She is fully as dominant in MMA as Mike Tyson at his peak.
I think Rhonda Rousey is a good pick. She's head and shoulders above anyone else in her field. She is fully as dominant in MMA as Mike Tyson at his peak.
Actually Rhonda Rousey is world famous. She is very well known Tez3. Everyone I know probably would be okay labeling her as the worlds most dominant athlete. MMA is hot in America right now it is probably the fastest growing sport and has really taken over the combat sports market from boxing. After each of her last couple of fights people were talking about it at my wife's work which is a doctor's office.
She's well known to people who are into MMA and in America, she's not well known in the UK or Europe, honestly, she's not. MMA is still very niche elsewhere. I can ask most people here if they know who Rousey is and they will say they don't. We haven't had a UFC here for a long while now so no publicity, TUF is on a small 'to pay for' channel and there's not a lot of interest even among MMAers. I can put Rousey up on my FB page and I guarantee most of my friends will have no idea who she is.
Here, it's athletes like Jessica Ennis ( and you will say who?) that are famous, they do television ads, interviews etc so are in the public eye, Rousey isn't here in any capacity at all. She's never on our televisions or being interviewed by the media.
The UFC is not even allowed to be shown in Germany. People have to watch it via 'other means' if they want to see it.
Although I did have a conversation about Rhonda's armbar with a German woman at a BBQ last weekend, so, maybe she carries some underground celebrity weight, I dunno.
MMA as a participatory sport is incredibly popular here though. Reassuring that the sport has managed to proliferate mainly via word of mouth and social network media without the marketing and hype juggernaut that is UFC. I meet far fewer Tapout and Affliction wearing wannabe douchebags here than I did back in the UK. Just serious minded sportspeople here.
UFC is shown on a small 'pay for' channel here, BT sport and doesn't reach a huge audience. Local shows are popular probably more so than the UFC because people like to support local fighters. There was an initial rush of support for the UFC when it came to London the second time, the first wasn't a big success even though we had British fighters on. We haven't had a UFC here in UK for quite a while now and no signs of another being put on. What does seem popular and seems to account for a lot of wannabees is the video/computer game!
Steve
Mostly Harmless
You guys understand that the poll,isn't "worlds most famous athlete." Right? Whether rousey is known in the UK is kind of irrelevant to the topic.
If she's that 'dominant' she needs to be asking for a pay rise to keep up with those other 'dominant' women 
10 Yani Tseng - In Photos The World s Highest-Paid Female Athletes - Forbes
10 Yani Tseng - In Photos The World s Highest-Paid Female Athletes - Forbes
Hanzou
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If she's that 'dominant' she needs to be asking for a pay rise to keep up with those other 'dominant' women
10 Yani Tseng - In Photos The World s Highest-Paid Female Athletes - Forbes
FYI, that's from 3 years ago. Rousey has tons of endorsements now, so I wouldn't be surprised if she's one of the top paid now.
BTW, I love her no-gi Judo workout. Really cool stuff;
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Steve
Mostly Harmless
Mma athletes in general are not well paid. The ufc is currently defending against a class action on that very subject.If she's that 'dominant' she needs to be asking for a pay rise to keep up with those other 'dominant' women
10 Yani Tseng - In Photos The World s Highest-Paid Female Athletes - Forbes
Danny T
Senior Master
She is the most dominate figure in 'her field' today. How would she fair vs Ester Vergeer in her field where she dominates?
Hey Tez3 I imagine that Rhonda and some of the other UFC athletes must be popular. Connor McGregor is off the charts in Ireland and he is in the UFC now. Norway just had a sell out UFC show in the middle of the night. I would grant you though that Rhonda may be more popular now in the United States but it is hard to argue that she is not the most dominant athlete based on here performance so far.
I wouldn't argue she's not popular in the States, the publicity drive should ensure that, after all that's what the UFC.
Connor, bless him is popular in Ireland but it's a tiny place, they all know each other ( and it's not the UK in case anyone thinks it is!) I had to laugh when you said Norway had a show in the middle of the night, that's what all the US ones are to us. The recent Maywether fight was on here at about two, three in the morning. That wasn't so hugely popular despite the hype because Sky television were charging a fortune for pay per view and even charged nearly £20 to watch the repeat!
I really don't think she is the 'world's' most dominant athlete though, that is media hype, after all there's advertising to be sold in the magazine. There's no doubt she's the big name in female MMA at the moment but I'm not sure she's the biggest and most dominant female 'athlete', I'd say instead 'female MMA fighter' would be accurate.
Spinedoc
Brown Belt
I don't even think she's all that popular in the States. Most of the people I know have never heard of her, and when you even mention UFC or MMA, they give you a stare like....Ick.....really? Then again, the only athletes that really get talked about here are NFL players (ad nauseum), PGA golfers, and NBA players. Occasionally a baseball player. Boxers? Not much at all.....MMA/UFC......never.
Well Spinedoc that may be the case in your area of Minnesota but definitely not here in Las Vegas or when I was in Michigan.
Funny thing is I see her commercials all the time!
Funny thing is I see her commercials all the time!
Spinedoc
Brown Belt
However, that is the point the show in Norway was in the middle of the night in a big stadium and it was sold out with raukus fans. Meaning those people wanted to be there to cheer on Gustaffson and purchased expensive UFC tickets and stayed up all night to do so. Those are some serious fans right there.
Sky television in the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight reported 7.7 million Euro's in profit or dived by $24.96 Euro of around 308,617 buys. While that is obviously way below US sales it is still a substantial number and not trivial by any means. Especially when you factor in that it was a live sporting event featured in the middle of the night in the UK.
Now I am not saying that the UFC is the greatest thing since sliced bread but it is popular world wide with shows happening now in a lot of different countries. Fighters are not paid anywhere near other professional atheltes but UFC fighter salaries have been on the rise for years and if your good and a personality you can get very, very lucrative endorsements.
If I try to find one athlete as dominant as Rhonda Rousey with the ones I am familiar with I am hard pressed to find one. It would be different if someone, anyone was giving here any competition but as of now she is head and shoulders above all her competition so far.
