Celebrity fighter Ronda Rousey just signed to exclusively stream with Facebook Gaming, and she's starting with 'Pokemon Sword and Shield'

Isaac Brekken/AP, Facebook

Celebrity fighter Ronda Rousey has signed to exclusively stream video games on Facebook Gaming.

• Celebrity fighter Ronda Rousey announced she will exclusively stream with Facebook Gaming.
• The former UFC champion is a huge video game fanatic, and she's the most recent big name to sign exclusively in the streaming competition between Facebook, Twitch, YouTube, and Mixer.
• Her first stream will be on February 18 and feature Rousey playing "Pokémon Sword and Shield," and then she'll start streaming weekly, a Facebook spokesperson told Business Insider.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Ronda Rousey may be best known for her fighting abilities, but she also loves video games. The former UFC fighter announced she's exclusively streaming with Facebook Gaming in a statement provided to Business Insider.

As major streaming platforms like Twitch, YouTube, and Mixer compete for attention, signing big names exclusively has become the norm. Facebook Gaming has stepped up recently with signees like YouTube's "Vlog Squad" member and former Twitch streamer Corinna Kopf, and now Rousey, who is making her streaming debut.

The celebrity fighter has spilled details about her video game obsession in the past, including that she used to be a moderator for a Pokémon forum on GameTalk.com. She also voiced the character Sonya Blade in "Mortal Kombat 11" - although not everyone was a fan of her voice acting casting.

"As many of you know, I have been an avid gamer most of my life and if you don't know, now you know," Rousey said in her announcement video. "I'm super excited for us to geek out together, especially because we're starting with 'Pokémon Sword and Shield.' After this week we're going to be following a more set schedule, I don't know, Sunday or Monday mornings, we'll figure it out."

Rousey's first stream will take place on Tuesday, February 18 at 6:00 p.m. EST, and she said she would donate all the proceeds from her "Pokémon Sword and Shield" stream to Australian bushfire recovery efforts.

"Gaming has always been a huge part of my life, and I can't wait to share that passion with my millions of fans on Facebook Gaming," Rousey said in a statement provided to Business Insider. "Through my streams, people can hang out with the real me, not the 'character' version of myself they're used to seeing, though the 'Rowdy One' can't always be contained!"

• Read more:
• Gamers say they're earning more money on Facebook's streaming platform than on Twitch and YouTube
• Facebook Gaming lands its biggest exclusive female streamer yet with 'Vlog Squad' member and former Twitch streamer Corinna Kopf
• UFC champ Ronda Rousey is completely obsessed with Pokémon
• Why the next star of women's MMA won't suffer the same cataclysmic downfall as her old training partner, Ronda Rousey

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