Ronda Rousey Looked Fiercely Beautiful on the Set of Her SI Swim Debut

She’s a force to be reckoned with in the Octagon and on the beach.

Ronda Rousey was photographed byWalter Iooss Jr. in Captiva, Fla.Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

Though Ronda Rousey was certainly out of her comfort zone when she set foot on the set of her first Sports Illustrated Swimsuit feature in 2015, she wasn’t scared. It was not her normal terrain, which as an American professional wrestler tended to be the Octagon, the eight-sided ring where she fought in the UFC. But she was prepared.

Comparatively, posing for a SI Swimsuit feature was easy. She wasn’t taking the same risks stepping on the sand of Captiva, Fla., that she normally did when she stepped into the ring for a match. She was perhaps a little “nervous,” but she wasn’t “scared.” 

“I get scared fighting,” Rousey admitted on set. The risk of serious injury or death made fighting a nerve-racking venture for the impressive athlete. But posing in swimsuits? Easy. “The worst that can happen here? Someone will say I look bad in a bikini—oh no,” she expressed jokingly. “Fighting puts everything into perspective.”

She had no reason even to be nervous, though, which was something she proved in almost no time on set in Florida. The experience was seamless, and the snaps captured by photographer Walter Iooss Jr. were beautiful.

So impressive was her first feature, in fact, that Rousey returned to the SI Swimsuit set the following year and posed for a spot on the cover of the annual issue.

But today we’re looking back at her debut. Here are a few of her incredible photos from the trip.

Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

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