Ronda Rousey reveals how sporting success helped her overcome eating disorder

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'I struggled with bulimia for years': UFC fighter and ESPY winner Ronda Rousey reveals how sporting success helped her to overcome an eating disorder

The 28-year-old, who won Best Female Athlete and Best Fighter at last night's ESPYs, is UFC’s first and only Women’s Bantamweight Champion
The mixed martial artist became the first US Olympic women’s judo medalist after winning the bronze in 2008
Ronda admitted that she once thought her happiness was dependent on the size and shape of her body

Published: 16:09 EST, 16 July 2015 | Updated: 19:57 EST, 16 July 2015

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UFC champion and mixed martial arts fighter Ronda Rousey is a boundary-breaking athlete, as well as a budding actress, but the rising star recently revealed that she struggled with bulimia for years, before finally being able to accept her body for what it is – her most important asset.

The 28-year-old, who was named Best Female Athlete and Best Fighter at Wednesday night's ESPY Awards, is the UFC’s first and only Women’s Bantamweight Champion, as well as the first US Olympic women’s judo medalist, but she admitted that she once thought her happiness was dependent on the size and shape of her body.

'I would do all kinds of crazy stuff; I struggled with bulimia and all these things for years,' Ronda told Yahoo Beauty of the great lengths she went to achieve the body she thought she wanted.

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Rising star: UFC fighter Ronda Rousey (pictured) was named Best Fighter and Best Female Athlete at the ESPY Awards on Wednesday night

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We're used to seeing her giving beat downs in the octagon- where she seems to be doing all the beatings- we've seen her in Entourage playing the role of...Ronda Rousey.. Now, the fighter is hitting the ESPY red carpet.

The award recipient went for a black and white mini dress with polka mesh detailing on the sleeves and the waist.

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Take that: Ronda can be seen punching Miesha Tate during their UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in 2013

'I was unhappy,' she explained. I had to attend to all of the other things in my life, like my career and my training, to get to a point where I trained just because I loved it. I didn’t even know that was what I wanted, but I made myself happy first and then got the “oh wow” body.

And while the MMA fighter, who posed nude for ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue in 2012, is no stranger to flaunting her strong and sexy physique, she used to make herself miserable by focusing on how her workouts made her look - rather than how they made her feel.

'What I really realized I was doing wrong was dieting and training and doing all of these things that I didn’t even like to get this idea of the body that I wanted,' she recalled. 'I was focused on the results, instead of the process.

Leader of the pack: Ronda, who is pictured with her championship belt, the UFC’s first and only Women’s Bantamweight Champion

Winning moves: The outstanding athlete also held her opponent in a headlock while fighting for the championship

Famous fighters: Former boxer Mike Tyson met and fist pumped Ronda during a media training session at the Glendale Fight Club in California on Wednesday

'I was unhappy and thought that when I got the right body I would be happy. But I was going at it backwards. I had to make myself happy first and then the body came.'

Surprisingly, the fighting champion said she doesn't life weights at all and noted that her muscle definition, which is a result of MMA training, is 'really an afterthought'.

'I never really liked weight lifting because there is no problem solving, whereas when I am fighting, I am trying to solve a problem, so I don’t think about being tired,' she explained.

Ronda, who cities boxing, wrestling, jujitsu and running up sand dunes as some of her go-to workouts, said that she does something different every single day to keep her 'mentally engaged' and wanting to train longer.

Behind the scenes of the new Entourage movie with Ronda Rousey

Ronda played a movie version of herself in the new Entourage film (pictured), which is now in theaters

Ready to battle: In the film, Ronda takes Jerry Ferrara's character Turtle into the ring for a fight

The Entourage star has changed her views on exercise and food over the years, noting that 'training should not be a chore' and 'junk food shouldn't be a reward'. She also advised the people 'really need to listen' and drink as much water as possible.

'Find healthy foods that you love and stick to them,' she added. 'I used to eat a whole pint of Ben and Jerry’s like it was no thing, but now it’s so rich I can’t even eat it.'

Ronda said she is 'pretty much gluten-free'; Greek yogurt and goat cheese are the only dairy she consumes, and she rarely drinks alcohol.

In addition to MMA fighting, Ronda has scored roles plum films including Entourage, Furious 7 and the upcoming film Mile 22, starring Mark Wahlberg.

Ronda Rousey attends 2015 ESPYs in mesh cutout dress

Got it, flaunt it: The 28-year-old blonde bombshell proudly posed on the red carpet before the awards show in a figure hugging black and white paneled mini-dress

Shining moment: Ronda can be seen accepting her award after being named the Best Female Athlete

While Ronda is becoming of a red carpet regular, she credits the guys in her gym for making her more fashionable.

Ronda recalled that when she started training she only had a couple pairs of workout pants, which she had since she was 17, and the guys at her gym often asked her why she was always wearing the same pants.

'It’s funny that it was the men who really girlied me up instead of the other way around,' she noted 'Once I started getting into it, I was really into it. Now my whole Instagram feed is fashion.'

Now Ronda said she relies on Lululemon for workout gear, explaining: 'It might cost $80 for a pair of pants, but you’ll have them for six years.'