After another dominating win at the UFC against loudmouth Bethe Correa, Ronda Rousey seems unbeatable in her division and probably in MMA altogether.

So, we were curious to try to find one time Ronda walked out of a mat without being declared the winner.

Well, the only match we could find was the women’s 70kg division quarterfinals in the judo tournament at the 2008 Olympic Games, in Beijing, China.

Ronda was having a good campaign and had won her first two matches, first against Nasiba Sukriwva (TKM) and then against Katarzyna Pilocik (POL).

The third opponent would be Netherland’s Edith Bosch.

After a scoreless regulation time, with only 1:43 left on the clock at the golden score extra-time, Bosch was able to score a ippon with a counter attack after Ronda went for a takedown.

Rousey landed on her back and the referee signaled the ippon, the highest score in judo, as the American continued the movement and ended in side control.

Ronda thought she had won and was truly surprised when the referee awarded her opponent the win.

In a interview to USA Today at the time, Rousey was clearly upset with the outcome of the match and the fact she could not repeat the gold medal her mother AnnMarie De Mars won at the 1984 World judo championship: “I kind of want to live up to what she has done, and so I was like nervous about disappointing her. And she was like, ‘I’ve already won my medal. I only want it for you because I know what it feels like and I want you to have that, and if you don’t win tomorrow, I won’t be disappointed in you or mad.’ ”

After losing the chance to win the gold medal, Ronda returned on the repechage and won three more matches to secure one of two bronze medals, the first olympic medal for US women’s judo in all times.

Here is her final match for the bronze against Germany’s Annett Bohm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVKYfslwUQU

Beijing 2008 was Ronda’s last appearance in judo.

She debuted in MMA on August 6, 2010, still as an amateur.

In only 23s, she caught Hayden Munoz with an armbar.

Watch it.

And the rest is history.

She had two other amateur fights and won both in the first round by armbars.

Her professional debut was on March 27, 2011, against Ediane Gomes, beat in the first round with an armbar.

Five first-round armbar submissions later and a Strikeforce belt, she made her debut in the UFC on February 23, 2013, with another armbar submission in the first round on Liz Carmouche and the women’s bantamweight belt.

She is now 12-0 in MMA (professional), with 9 armbar submissions (8 in the first round) and 11 victories in the first round.

Back to 2008, when asked if she was going to try a MMA career, she was not certain: “I don’t know. “A MMA coach I know says, ‘Just come and learn how to punch. Maybe we’ll find you a fight later,’ ” she said. “So I don’t know. I might learn how to throw a punch, but I’m not making any promises.

Turns out she did learn how to throw a punch or two, didn’t she?

https://youtu.be/0Jf0BzK9xW0

Strikeforce stunner Ronda Rousey pictured here competing in Beijing / GRACIEMAG.com archive photo

Ronda Rousey, an Olympic judo medalist at the Beijing-2008 Olympics, has seven submission wins in seven MMA appearances—four as a professional. This coming Saturday, she’ll have her work cut out for her in a bid to snatch the Strikeforce bantamweight belt from Miesha Tate in Columbus, Ohio.

The winsome black belt, widely regarded as MMA’s latest top-billing female, is into the final stage or her preparations for battle, as you can see in the video below. Besides being determined, the 24-year-old athlete boasts looks that would have any ogler spellbound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeSOMJjYNMM

Boxing at Beijing-2008: failure in China brought out major change in Cuba. Foto: Nick Laham/Getty Images/Publicity.

What does it matter is the jab comes from the left or the right, when it’s landing spot-on? To GRACIEMAG, Jiu-Jitsu and everything surrounding it should be seen in this light, as well. The submission can come from the right or the left—so long as it’s true, effective, honest.

Honesty was what we found today, as we opened the sports section of “O Globo” newspaper, in an article on boxing, sport and children in Havana.

After getting to know Lázaro Pérez, the city’s very first under-34 kg champion of the 9- to 10-year-old division, we sorted the highlights from the article and now serve it on a platter for our gentle readers to enjoy. No politics, and from whichever side the customer prefers.

INVESTING IN THE YOUTH

Although it’s a novelty in Cuba, the under-10-year-old boxing division has been official for some time in other nations, like the USA. “At this age we teach them basic movements and punches and how to defend themselves. The idea is to move the kids into more advanced categories already with a strong foundation of technique,” teaches Jo De Vrieze, a Belgian who coaches children in a neighborhood of Havana.

MAXIMUM SAFETY AND ZEAL FOR THE KIDS

“The rules are strict so pre-teen tournaments will be safe. A doctor examines the pugilists before each bout and the referee watches closely,” it says in the article, written using information form the Associated Press (AP). “The bouts are limited to three 50-second rounds. The use of head gear is mandatory.”

MARTIAL ARTS & DISCIPLINE

After some vexing results at the Beijing Olympics—2008 (not a single gold medal), the Boxing World Championship in Italy—2009 and the Pan-American Championship, the Cuban sporting authorities said they felt humiliated. And they attacked the problem with reforms, not excuses. “The first measure taken was to bring in a new coach, Rolando Acebal, to emphasize discipline,” it says in the article. “The change was decisive,” said Félix Savón, 44, a Cuban boxing legend and three-time Olympic champion who said in the article, “With Acebal, some things that had been lost were recovered.”

The results for the country are already beginning to show, like the two gold medals at the World Championship in Baku and the eight medals in nine divisions at the Pan in Guadalajara. But the big test will be at London-2012.

Seasoned teachers taking care of the youth levels, putting an effort in developing discipline. Now to you, gentle reader, is this the right formula to use in the study of martial arts and winning gold down the road? Comment below.

A wrestler representing Brazil at the last Olympic Games (Beijing, 2008), Rosângela Conceição has just added being a Brazilian comic book character to her CV.

With the backing of Companhia Rio-Grandense de Artes Gráficas company, the judo and Jiu-Jitsu black belt now living in Abu Dhabi released a booklet demonstrating techniques and stressing the moral values encompassed in the martial arts.

According to Rosângela, the aim of the initiative was to elucidate the benefits of the sport to the broader public—and children in particular—in an educative manner.

The 36-page booklet also features the history of wrestling and its rules, as well as interactive games aimed at children.

The comic book is being distributed to the public school network in several regions of Brazil, so as to spread the word on sportive martial arts.

In 2011, GRACIEMAG.com pointed out “Zanza”, as she is known in Brazil, as one of the most winning athletes in Jiu-Jitsu World Championship history.

For next year, Rosângela plans to distribute the magazines to the embassies of Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking countries in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to serve the children of the citizens of those nations. Also in her future plans is an outreach project for war refugees sheltered in UN-backed encampments around the Middle East. Another simple mission for a comic book superheroine.

Crane: getting ready to fight Saturday at King of the Cage along with ten students / Photo: publicity

As avid GRACIEMAG.com readers are aware, the March 27 King of the Cage event in Tarzana, California will be filled with students of our GMA Alberto Crane. In all, ten students of the Gracie Barra Encino teacher with branches in Pasadena and Burbank will be on the card.

What escaped most people’s attention, though, is that a judoka of the highest caliber will see action in the Californian cage, looking for her third MMA finish.

Her name is Rhonda Rosey, a bronze medalist from the Beijing 2008 Olympics making her professional MMA debut. An armbar buff, Rhonda is doing her preparations with a stalwart team, alongside Jared Papazian, Rob Gooch, Ako Harper, Martin Gantt, Keenan Lewis, Daniel Clark, Juan Pablo Garcia, Robert Gleckman and current blue belt absolute champion of the world Orlando Sanchez. But we’ll let Alberto Crane himself fill us in, in the following GRACIEMAG.com interview:

You have 18 career MMA fights with 13 wins and two appearances in the UFC. With this fight on the 27th are you picking up where you left off in your career?

I love MMA and competition and I would love to get a win in the UFC, but to be honest being a coach, dad and husband are more of a priority to me.

You’re going to fight and corner ten students at KOTC “Turning Point” on the 27th. How are you going to divide the two things for nothing to go wrong?

Its an MMA event, my students and I are fighting on the same night and many things can go wrong! But you have to believe in your students, yourself and I am confident! To be honest (about how ten of his students ended up on the same card) I think it happened over lunch with one of my students, Robert Gleckman, who wanted to fight, and so I put him in touch with the right people and the next thing I know it’s actually happening!

Which of your students fighting on the 27th is the best?

Let me just say that there is a lot of heart and talent and everybody’s technique is improving by the day!

Of the men, there’s Orlando Sanchez, one of your students with the most expressive results in the gi. Could he be making the move to MMA any time soon?

I think Orlando as of right now is planning on being the best he can be in Jiu-Jitsu, but MMA is something that definitely interests him and no doubt sees in his bright future!

And of the girls, there’s Rhonda. . .

Rhonda Rousey was a bronze medalist in Judo at the Beijing Olympics. Im really excited to see all these amazing athletes go at it on the 27th!!

What about you, when do you return to gi competition?

The last time I competed in the gi was in 2007. I would like to compete this year in the gi, but to be honest I am more of a coach these days! The academies Gracie Barra Encino, Pasadena and Burbank are going great and growing by the day!  Every now and again I get a visit from Draculino, who came by last week and gave an amazing seminar.

What advice would you give a young Jiu-Jitsu practitioner?

Man, I would say do your best, believe in yourself and surround yourself with the right people. That will get you there!

What about you, are you already a GMA associate and have news about your students and academy? Send it in to us a gma@graciemag.com and help us spread the word to the worldwide Jiu-Jitsu community!