Her promotion, notable on its own merits, also coincided with two other important events. One is that it occurred in conjunction with her induction into the International Sports Hall of Fame held in Columbus, Ohio. Two, she was promoted at the same time as her mother and judo mentor, AnnMaria DeMars. DeMars, one of the leading figures in US judo for decades, was promoted to a 7th-degree black belt.

Rarely have a mother/daughter combination risen so high in the ranks of a martial art at the same time. DeMars was the first American, male or female, to win at the World Judo Championships in 1984.

Rousey is well known for being the first American woman to medal at the Olympics, earning a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in   Beijing, China. It’s good to remember the base arts that make Mixed Martial Arts what it is today.