Ronda Rousey is back in fight mode, and ahead of her long-awaited return against Gina Carano, the former UFC superstar is already making headlines outside the cage.
Ronda Rousey did not hold back when responding to recent criticism from former UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev.
Rousey returns to action this Saturday for the first time in nearly a decade when she faces Carano in one of the most talked-about women’s fights in combat sports history. While anticipation for the matchup continues to grow, Chimaev recently questioned Rousey’s criticism of UFC fighter pay and suggested she should be more grateful to the promotion.
“There would never have been Ronda Rousey without UFC,” Chimaev said during a recent appearance.
“If they pay good or don’t pay good, who cares? When she was Olympic champ, what did she make then?”
During Thursday’s pre-fight press conference, Ronda Rousey fired back with a passionate and explosive response aimed directly at Chimaev while also clarifying where she stands with the UFC.
“I want to make something abundantly clear, and that’s I owe Dana White and the Fertittas immensely,” Rousey said.
“I would be caught dead before you ever heard me say a bad thing about any of them. But my loyalty is to them and not the company that they sold. I do not owe TKO’s UFC a damn thing.”
Rousey then turned her attention directly toward Chimaev and did not mince words.
“‘Cleft Lip Lincoln’ is just hating because at his press conference for his fight, people are asking about me and my fight because no one gives a s— about his ineffectual wrestle-fests,” Rousey said.
“People actually can’t stop talking about this fight because it’s so stacked and they’re excited to see me fight because unlike Kumquat, I have a 100 percent finish rate.”
The comments added even more chaos to an already heated fight week surrounding the blockbuster Rousey vs. Carano matchup.
But Chimaev was not the only fighter in Rousey’s crosshairs.
Rousey also addressed recent criticism from reigning UFC bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison, who questioned the importance of the upcoming fight and accused Rousey of chasing money rather than greatness.
Harrison recently said:
“This fight is not the greatest fight of all time. It’s between someone who hasn’t fought in 10 years and another legend who hasn’t fought in 17 years.
“Don’t call it the greatest fight of all time. I’m chasing greatness. You’re chasing money. We’re different.”
Rousey quickly dismissed that criticism and argued that her impact on combat sports already speaks for itself.
“There’s no such thing as discount greatness in professional fighting,” Rousey responded.“The biggest money fight is the biggest fight, period. My definition of greatness is making history, having a cultural impact and influencing the future of the sport.”
Rousey also believes this weekend’s event could reshape the MMA landscape, especially with Netflix entering the combat sports world through MVP MMA.
“Me and Gina are smashing the record for the most women have ever been paid in combat sports,” Rousey said.
“Who says the success of this fight can’t create the rival the UFC needs and give fighters the bargaining power they’ve never had?”
The former champion even hinted at a bigger vision beyond Saturday night.
“If we knock this out of the park, I could become the face of MVP MMA and the most powerful figure in this sport since Dana,” Rousey said.
“I’m not chasing greatness. I am greatness. These bitches are chasing me.”
