Photos: Ronda Rousey turns swimsuit model for Sports Illustrated

Ronda Rousey has garnered a pile of accolades since starting her fighting career, and now the UFC champion has bagged a new laurel.

She has become the first Mixed Martial Artist fighter to be featured in the Swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated.

After being featured in the ESPN Body Issue in 2012, she is now back to the pages being the swimsuit model for Sports Illustrated , in which she would also be joined by tennis star Caroline Wozniacki among athletes.

The photo-shoots were carried out along with other models in the Captiva Island in the Gulf of Mexico, as reported.

Although having won the gold medal in Summer Olympics 2008 for Judo, she later opted out of her Judo practice so as to go ahead with her MMA career.

The 28-year-old Rousey, who is also the first UFC Women’s Bantamweight champion, will be in for the matchup against Cat Zingano on February 28th for defending her title in UFC 184.

She is also nominated for being one among the “99 Outstanding Women” for 2015 by Askmen.com. Back in 2013, she was also ranked 29 in the Maxim Hot 100 list.

With a successful modeling career being molded in her fighting career, Rousey has also tried hands at acting.

She played a part in the 2014 action flick Expendables 3 and also has two films under her pouch to be released this year; Furious 7 and Entourage.

With the way things are going, it will be no wonder if the #1 Women’s MMA Fighter of all time catches further fame with her modeling and acting skills in the coming days.