Ronda Rousey is on the cover of Sports Illustrated, the first MMA Fighter since Roger Huerta to achieve the honor, and the very first to be the subject of the feature story as well. But, that’s not all she’s had going on. She’s also touring to plug her new autobiography, entitled My Fight / Your Fight . The latest stop on that tour was Good Morning America, where she spoke to co-host Jesse Palmer and gave him a free judo lesson as well.
The biggest subject on hand was Rousey’s relationship with her Mother, as Rousey described losing her father and the role her mom played in her life.
“We lost my dad and that was a hard time. And my Mom had all of us to take care of by herself, which was really hard for her.”
And while stories of Rousey’s mother’s brand of tough love have been a pretty common feature in stories of the UFC champ, she shared some of the less tough sides for this interview.
“My mom, when you’re sick, is the most nurturing, sweet, beautiful person. And it’s so funny, with injuries she’s like, ‘Walk it off!’ But if you cough she’s like, ‘Oh my baby! Are you okay?’ So the second I get sick, I’m like ‘Call mom, it’s nurture time!'”
She also talked about how her mom used to try and help build her confidence in the car rides heading to Judo competitions. Telling Rousey things like, “‘You’re faster than them and you’re stronger than them and your genetics are great.’ And then she would just keep pulling for stuff like, ‘Your hair is so shiney that it will reflect the light into their eyes and could distract them. And then you can pounce on them in that moment.'”
Check out the whole segment above, if for no better reason than to watch tape of her throwing a daytime talk show host on his ass.
About the author
