Legendary female combatants known as The Four Horsewomen of MMA are regarded as forerunners of women’s MMA. Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke, and Marina Shafir are all former friends and training partners in the top group of women in mixed martial arts.Women’s mixed martial arts have become recognised as a legitimate discipline thanks in large part to Ronda Rousey’s professional career. The first American woman to earn an Olympic medal in judo (bronze at the 2008 Games), Rousey has had a remarkable multi-sport career. She later became the first female bantamweight champion in the UFC.
Rousey signed a deal with WWE in 2018 to pursue a career in professional wrestling after suffering two straight defeats in the UFC. She has since won the WWE women’s world championship three times.Veteran mixed martial artist Shayna Baszler has competed in competitions for Strikeforce, Invicta FC, and the UFC. After losing both of her fights, the UFC released her after a short stint with them (2013–2015). In 2015, Baszler switched to professional wrestling and started taking part in regional tournaments.
In addition to being a two-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion with Nia Jax, Baszler was previously the longest-reigning NXT Women’s Champion with two victories. The latest fatal four-way tag team match at Wrestlemania 39 was won by Rousey and Baszler. The Ultimate Fighter has featured both Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir. Duke and Shafir had signed contracts with WWE and had reported to the Performance Center for training, according to a press statement from the company dated May 7, 2018.
WWE let go of both MMA stars in 2021. Shafir has competed in other regional events while this is happening. As of right now, she is working for All Elite Wrestling. The Four Horsewomen have acted as role models for a large number of female competitors and are frequently recognised as pioneers for women in mixed martial arts. Because of their efforts to create a positive and encouraging culture within the sport, women’s MMA has attracted more notice.
Why did the Four Horsewomen of MMA vs. Four Horsewomen of WWE come together?
The anticipated faction battle between the Four Horsewomen of WWE (Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Bayley, and Becky Lynch) and the Four Horsewomen in MMA (Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler, Marina Shafir, and Jessamyn Duke) once excited professional wrestling fans when all eight women were employed by WWE.Rousey and Baszler were succeeded by Duke and Shafir, but they were later let go from the company. It seems doubtful that the two teams will ever face off in an eight-woman matchup. Duke has not engaged in any wrestling since leaving the WWE, whereas Shafir is now associated with AEW.
