Former UFC champion and WWE star Ronda Rousey has welcomed her second daughter during a challenging time in Los Angeles.
The 37-year-old athlete announced the birth of Liko’ula Pā’ūomahinakaipiha Browne on Thursday evening as wildfires swept through Los Angeles County.
“Our little girl came into this world during a windstorm into a city on fire, so grateful she made it safe and sound,” Rousey shared on Instagram.
The timing of the birth coincides with massive evacuations in Southern California, where over 100,000 residents have fled their homes due to multiple fires raging through the area.
Rousey, who trains in Glendale, LA County, shared touching moments of her growing family through a series of photos and videos.
One particularly heartwarming clip shows her firstborn daughter, La’akea, meeting her new sister for the first time by her mother’s hospital bed.
The post also included a tender selfie of Rousey cradling her newborn and a family photo featuring her husband, Travis Browne.
The name Liko’ula, meaning “newly opened leaf” in Hawaiian, pays tribute to Browne’s native heritage.
The couple, who married in Hawaii in August 2017, are already parents to two-year-old La’akea Makalapuaokalanipo.
Rousey is also a stepmother to Browne’s two sons from his previous marriage.
This pregnancy journey holds special significance for Rousey, who has been open about her struggles with fertility.
She and Browne underwent three cycles of IVF and experienced two pregnancy losses before welcoming their first daughter in September 2021.
Rousey first revealed her pregnancy in July 2024 at the San Diego Comic-Con while promoting her graphic novel “Expecting the Unexpected.”
The timing seems fitting given her latest arrival’s dramatic entrance into the world.
The Olympic bronze medalist has embraced motherhood wholeheartedly since stepping away from her illustrious fighting career.
In a June 2023 interview with People, Rousey shared insights about her first daughter’s resilient nature:
“Oh, she’s definitely going to be tough. She doesn’t respond to pain so much. She just fell and scraped her knee today and didn’t even cry. She just kind of grunts it out!”
Via People
While the new baby’s exact birth location remains unclear, Rousey’s post suggests the family remains in the LA area, where emergency services continue to battle multiple wildfires.
Despite the challenging circumstances, the family’s joy at their newest addition shines through in their announcement.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- She maintained an impressive 12-0 record in MMA before suffering her first loss to Holly Holm via head kick knockout in 2015. She later had a brief 48-second fight against Amanda Nunes, during which she didn’t land any significant strikes.
- During her five-year wrestling career, she achieved significant milestones, including holding the Raw Women’s Title, becoming a two-time SmackDown Women’s Champion, and making history with Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair as the first women to headline WrestleMania.
- In her own words, Rousey expressed how motherhood changed her mental health for the better, stating, “I’m just so much happier that I’m no longer ruminating over myself all day” and noting how focusing on her child has helped her stop being so self-critical.
