Ronda Rousey broke down the doors of the UFC for female fighters in 2013 and, alongside Conor McGregor and Brock Lesnar, spearheaded a charge which brought the sport kicking and screaming into the mainstream. Her star was extinguished just two-and-a-half years later by the shinbone of Holly Holm, but by that point fight fans had become accustomed to seeing women compete at the top of a UFC PPV card. Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko grabbed the baton laid down by Rousey and ran with it, becoming seemingly invincible in their respective divisions for a time.
Three Takeaways From UFC 307
