Ronda Rousey has been at the head of the current WMMA revolution, acting as the star that UFC president Dana White could get behind pushing on the big stage. Rousey’s clear “next level” talent has made her much more than a pretty face, the violence of her fights adding even more appeal than her good looks.
While Rousey has always been quick to acknowledge the role that Gina Carano played in growing the sport of WMMA, she recently talked to Bleacher Report and is seeming to start to take issue with the current crop of fighters not giving her credit for advancing their ability to make money:
“It’s amazing and it really works out fortunately that these girls are a lot better off now,” Rousey told Bleacher Report. “It’s great that women can actually make careers now in mixed martial arts and make good money doing what they love to do. But I know they haven’t really given me very many props for it, and that’s cool because I haven’t done it for appreciation. I’ve done it for myself and I have my own selfish motives too.
“I can’t really hate on them too much but it would be nice to hear it without a grain of salt from Alexis Davis for once or after the women’s debut in the UFC, Cat Zingano wasn’t saying, ‘eh…there are a lot of holes in her game.’ At the same time, it’s not something I’m expecting. We are competitors and competitive by nature. I don’t expect them to be bringing me sunshine, lollipops and daisies when all they want to do is smash my face in and take everything I’ve so hard to accomplish. At least they are being real about it.”
While WMMA in the UFC may have been an eventuality regardless, there’s no denying that Rousey was the perfect star that could get Dana White — a long time holdout on the idea — to allow it to happen.