Ronda Rousey: Has Her Importance to MMA Been Overstated?

If stardom were registered with the click of the mouse or the tapping of keys on a keyboard, Ronda Rousey would be MMA's breakout star of 2012.

The press loves her. Quick with a quote and easy on the eyes, Rousey is a reporter's dream girl.

Here's my colleague Jeremy Botter speaking for many of us, touting Rousey's potential:

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What Rousey is chasing now is a level of renown known by only a few of her male counterparts in the UFC. She's on her way to the territory currently occupied by Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva and Jon Jones. But in truth, she has the potential to be far bigger as a mainstream star than any of them.

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Fans, however, have taken to Rousey a little more slowly. Some have even accused Bleacher Report and other outlets of playing her up more than she deserves. The comments from the same article expressed a growing sentiment from some MMA fans:

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I like Rousey, but I think she's overrated and one punch away from being worth nothing.

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In some ways, both sides of the argument are dead on the money. Rousey probably doesn't deserve the amount of press she's received, if you only consider where she's been. The X-Factor isn't where she's been. It's where she is going.

UFC President Dana White has hinted that a UFC appearance may be in Rousey's future. If that happens, the mainstream press will pounce. Rousey will immediately become a presence in the culture—as big a star, if not bigger, than any male counterpart in the UFC. She has the looks, the charisma and the skill to be an icon. 

What do you think? Do we talk about Rousey too much? Let me know in the comments.