For the second time UFC champion Ronda Rousey has landed the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover, wearing nothing but body paint, and here it is.
For the first time in 52 years, three women took the SI cover for 2016 – Ronda, Ashley Graham and Hailey Clauson. They were surprised with the news on TNT.
Assistant managing editor MJ Day, of SI, explained: “This was my first time working with Ronda and I truly did not know what to expect. I was honestly really nervous going into it. Her public persona is that she’s a fighter. She’s tough and brutal in the ring. Outwardly there’s an assumption that she’s closed off and hard to reach.
“The reality is that once you get to know her, she’s fascinating. She’s mesmerising. And she’s also equally feminine, warm and relatable. After you shoot with her for a day, you realise where the worldwide frenzy comes from. People want to see her and know where she is at all times. It’s ‘Rondamania’ and it’s overtaken the general population. It’s wild to witness, so much so that I don’t even think she was aware to what lengths people would go to catch a glimpse of her in body paint.”
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