Ronda Rousey is a beast in the most sensible way. At the start of the month, she garnered headlines for what she did inside the Octagon at UFC 184. She successfully defended her women’s bantamweight championship against top contender Cat Zingano. In 14 seconds.
Yes, 14 seconds.
The finish set the record for the fastest submission ever in a UFC title fight and tied the all-time fastest submission win in the promotion’s history.
Not bad for the mixed martial artist who has gained the attention of Hollywood. Last summer, she was the lone female in Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables 3 . Ronda Rousey was so impactful that she actually broke the director’s (Patrick Hughes) ribs during filming.
This spring, she will be on the big screen again in Furious 7 . But she won’t be the only female in the multiethnic ensemble. Rousey’s arrival to the franchise sees her alongside the likes of Elsa Pataky (whose husband just happens to be Thor, Chris Hemsworth), Nathalie Emmanuel (from Game of Thrones ), Jordana Brewster, and action heroine Michelle Rodriguez.
Furious 7 continues the successful Fast & Furious franchise for Universal Pictures. The series began in 2001 with the release of The Fast and the Furious . For more than a decade, it has morphed from being about street racing to become a high-octane action franchise where our heroes tangle with drug dealers (and lords) and mercenaries. The latest installment switches gears by having the heroes being hunted by Jason Statham.
Helping Statham in his quest for vengeance are Thai martial artist Tony Jaa ( Ong Bak , The Protector ) and Ronda Rousey.
In a new behind-the-scenes featurette, we get a look at some of the new characters in Furious 7 and a special sneak peek at Rousey squaring off against Michelle Rodriguez in a penthouse fight. Dressed in ballroom gowns, the two ladies don’t let the constricting fabric hold them back.
While Ronda Rousey still has many UFC matches ahead of her, including a developing feud between her and Cris “Cyborg” Justino, once she is done with MMA, Hollywood might be a good alternative. It seems to have worked for Gina Carano, who competed with mixed martial arts promotions Strikeforce and EliteXC. Carano starred in 2011’s Haywire and followed that with a supporting role in Fast & Furious 6 (where she also fought Michelle Rodriguez). Her next big project is opposite Ryan Reynolds as Angel Dust in Deadpool (based on the Marvel Comics character). The film is currently scheduled to be released on February 12, 2016.
[Image via Business Insider Australia ]