Kaori Icho, Japan (58 kilos)
Lighter than Rousey, Icho had wrestled 60 kilos for several years before making the drop to 58 kilos. No matter the weight there is no question that Icho will go down as arguably the greatest women's wrestler in history. Her nine World championships and three Olympic gold medals place her in the top echelon of all international athletes. She's agile and has an instinct on the mat that leads her to widen scores and find the fall.
Icho's UFC future is pretty bleak. She recently turned 30 years old and with Tokyo 2020 five years away -- and assuming she seeks a fifth gold medal -- Icho could be well past the age to enter the octagon when she finally hangs up the boots.
But then again Icho has always thought outside conventional wisdom. She's traveled the world to not only wrestle, but learn English, study and spend time with friends. Her approach to the sport is one of technical greatness rather than placing herself above others. Maybe the challenges of striking and jiu-jitsu could appeal to her intellectual appetite.
Joice Silva of Brazil claimed a gold medal at the Pan American Championships (Photo/T.R. Foley)The Pan American champion is Brazil's fastest rising star on the mats. She's shown dramatic improvement over the past two years and is now a staple in the top 20 internationally.
Silva is longer than others on the list and coming from a nation known first for soccer and second for jiu-jitsu, she'd have ample opportunity to utilize those physical gifts from a quick introduction to choking out opponents.
Should Silva fail to reach the Olympics, she is still young enough to make a pivot to the cage that could see her line up across the octagon from Rousey in under three years. She's really just that talented.
Jackeline Rentaria Castillo, Colombia (63 kilos)
The sixth-ranked wrestler at 63 kilos, Castillo is a two-time Olympic bronze medalist and legitimate public persona in Colombia. She's extraordinarily gifted as an athlete and has a media sparkle that can attract big numbers for the UFC in Latin America and in the states.
As with Rousey, Castillo is also attractive to magazine publishers and already has an established and large social media following.
Technically she's not too far from learning some basic striking and jiu-jitsu, through the former would seem to suit her brawling form of wrestling quite well. Her strength is what could give her the edge in a matchup with Rousey -- just look at her gams.
Katherine Vidiaux Lopez, Cuba (63 kilos)
The Pan American champion at 63 kilos, Lopez made the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, though she failed to place. Strong as an ox and with a background in the Russian system of wrestling, you can track her potential success to that of countryman and former Olympic wrestler Yoel Romero.
Lopez's secret weapon is that she, like many on the small but successful Cuban roster, once trained in judo. That background will be a key element in understanding, defending and hitting her own arm bars against Rousey in the octagon.
Sukhee Tserenchimed, Mongolia (60 kilos)
A long shot in terms of geography and her insistence on training in Mongolia rather than accepting a scholarship to train at a college in Japan, Sukhee Tserenchimed, known as Chimdee, is one of the most impressive young athletes in the sport of wrestling.
Mongolia's Chimdee won a World title last year at 60 kilosChimdee also possess the type of local and regional fame that might be marketable within Asia. There is no secret that much of the regions still dislikes the Mongolian people, and though playing the heel would seem out of character for the genuinely kind wrestler, it's a promotional option that shouldn't be ignored.
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