It’s been hailed as a masterstroke and has made headlines across the world from the Huffington Post to People Magazine. It garnered world-wide attention and took on a life of its own. Ronda Rousey’s image and the fact she’s the first woman to appear on the cover caught the world’s attention for a few days. Google ‘ronda rousey+men’s fitness cover’ and it returns 28 pages of results, from media companies large and small. News sites like ESPN tweeted it to its millions of followers. It had a faint whiff of controversy of the tone, “How dare put a chick on the cover” comments, but fans of Ronda were vocal in support. The dissent generated more stories until people, like the head of Marvel comics, get asked about the cover. I mean, really?
Well here’s what we think about all of this:
Ronda is on the cover is because she is timely. She is headlining at the UFC 193 event at Etihad Stadium in November. Also, we did some reader feedback and we’ve acted on the results. We didn’t expect this to go worldwide or start a gender debate. That wasn’t the intention. Ronda is a once-in-a-generation athlete who embodies the spirit and character of this magazine. She is a supreme athlete, first and foremost. She is a female, but isn’t defined by her gender. Like it or hate it, Ronda Rousey is on the cover of the November issue of Men’s Fitness, she sits with our MMA Editor, Ritchie Cranny with an up close and personal look at her life, training and what motivates her. Personally, I am humbled by the worldwide attention this has received. I thought it would be big, but I’ve never seen anything like this, ever. Thanks Ronda Rousey for helping us make history.