MMA News: Floyd Mayweather offers Ronda Rousey vote of support
What’s the story?
Retired boxing legend Floyd Mayweather came out in support of former UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey after her loss against Amanda Nunes.
After her first defeat against Holly Holm at UFC 193, Rousey took a year long break from MMA. She returned to face current UFC bantamweight champion, Amanda ‘The Lioness’ Nunes at UFC 207, only to suffer her second consecutive defeat.
The Lioness ripped Rousey apart in a stunning 48-second display before referee Herb Dean stepped in to stop the carnage. This shattered the American’s comeback dreams and along with it, put her MMA future in question.
Following Rousey’s back-to-back brutal defeats, many supporters and fighters came out in support of the 29-year-old. While speaking with Fight Hype, Mayweather had some words of encouragement for the Beijing Olympics bronze medallist.
In case you didn’t know...
Mayweather is a former boxing world champion with a professional record of 49-0-0 (W-L-D) with 26 knockouts. Rousey, meanwhile, has a career record of 12-2-0 (W-L-D),
with 11 first round finishes. She had 6 successful title defences before her loss to Holm.
Mayweather and Rousey have a not-so-pleasant history. It all started in 2015 when the latter won the ESPY Fighter of the Year award, after which the
pair exchanged verbal jabs. Rousey called out Mayweather for getting beaten by a woman once, and in doing so, she also referenced his history of domestic violence.
The heart of the matter
In a video posted by Fight Hype, the American boxer was seen giving words of advice, trying to lift Rousey’s mood after her shocking defeat.
“I want Ronda Rousey to hold her head up, stay focused and keep believing. A true champion can bounce back. You will be ok, everything will be ok. The girl that Ronda Rousey faced, she was a tough competitor, and she was the better woman that night,” Mayweather said.
“Ronda Rousey has a lot left. I don't want her to think this is the end of the world. 2017 is a whole new year. That was last year. Now it’s 2017, so you are undefeated this year. Come back, champ,” he added.
What next?
Rousey only recently posted an inspirational quote by J.K Rowling on her Instagram which read, “And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.”
It is still not sure whether the 29-year-old wants to rebuild her career and dominance in UFC again or if she is looking elsewhere for a new start to her life. But one thing is clear,
she is not as depressed as she was after her loss to Holm.
Sportskeeda’s take
It was a good gesture from Mayweather to share words of advice and offer his support to a fellow athlete. Ronda, a dominating figure in the UFC, paved the way for women athletes to headline UFC events. She still has a lot to offer, if not in UFC, then somewhere else. Whichever path she decides to take, she will have the support of all her fans.