Rousey not only smashes opponents — which is, of course, the point of martial arts — she’s smashing gender barriers. Her pay-per-view takedown of Correia was that night’s main event. It began after men with less star power pummeled each other.

Post-fight write-ups bill it as a breakthrough moment for women in sports, putting Rousey in the same category as Serena Williams and the US women World Cup soccer champions. But Rousey is not just beating another woman, she’s beating one up. And there’s something about that spectacle that really appeals to guys.

If Rousey is a role model for women, however, she’s a confusing one. Her success sends a mixed message: Female aggression is fine in the UFC universe, particularly when the aggressor is a great-looking woman. And her level of gloating would likely be considered poor sportsmanship on a tennis court or soccer field.

The 28-year-old Rousey has blond hair, awesome muscles, and a bad-girl attitude to go along with it all. “Just because my body was developed for a purpose other than [having sex with] millionaires doesn’t mean it’s masculine,” she said in a UFC interview. Her physique, she said, shows she is not a “do-nothing bitch.”