On Wednesday, fans waited more than two hours in the blistering heat of a Brazilian beachfront just to catch a glimpse of her. When she arrived, the screams were deafening and the tears of admiration visible. They rushed as close as possible with the hope of a touch, picture or an autograph.

Rousey, of course, tried to greet as many of them as she could during her open workout – including one young fan who broke from the pack and wrapped himself around her waist. It was a rather fascinating scene, the rock-star fighter amidst the squealing scrum, and it would have been expected if it went down in the United States. But in Brazil, the territory of Rousey's UFC 190 opponent Bethe Correia, it was an emphatic statement of popularity.

In the span of just five UFC fights, Rousey has evolved into a globalized figure. The popularity of the UFC women's bantamweight champion is not restricted to international borders or language barriers.