Ronda Rousey backed proposed California bill set to create pension fund for MMA fighters
Former UFC champion Ronda Rousey has expressed support for a proposed bill in California that seeks to establish a pension fund for retired MMA fighters. The bill, if passed, would ensure that fighters have access to retirement benefits and healthcare after their careers in the octagon are over.
The proposed bill in California aims to provide support for retired MMA fighters who have dedicated their lives to the sport. The bill, sponsored by Assemblymember Matt Haney, seeks to establish a pension fund for former MMA fighters who have a certain number of fights in the state. This pension fund will ensure that fighters have access to retirement benefits and healthcare after their careers in the octagon are over.
Ronda Rousey, a pioneer in women's MMA and a member of the UFC Hall of Fame, expressed her complete support for the proposed legislation.
In a recent conversation with ESPN, Ronda Rousey stated:
"You have a much shorter window [in MMA] because your body takes so much more of a heavier toll. And the difference with these kind of combat sports, with all this contact and the neurological injuries involved, you don't know the day that you've taken one hit too many."
She further added:
""It's when you're dealing with the repercussions of that career is when you no longer have that income stream."
Proposed California bill, supported by Ronda Rousey, would create pension fund for MMA fighters espn.com/mma/story/_/id…
If passed into law, this proposed bill would be an important step towards providing much-needed resources for retired MMA fighters. Currently, no state in the U.S. provides a pension fund for MMA fighters, unlike retired boxers in California who already have access to such funds. Fighters in other major sports also have post-career protections from unions or player associations that are not available to MMA fighters.
Ronda Rousey is in discussions for a major film role
Ronda Rousey, a WWE SmackDown Superstar, is apparently negotiating for a part in a Marvel movie. Rousey is reportedly in talks to portray the super-strengthened warrior Thundra in Marvel's "Captain America: New World Order" movie, according to Michileen Martin of the Giant Freakin Robot website.
In Fantastic Four #129, Thundra first made her appearance. The character is described as a strong, red-haired, Amazon-like warrior from a matriarchal, technologically sophisticated future timeline where males have been enslaved by women and time travelers from an alternate future of the 23rd century.
The upcoming Captain America movie is scheduled for release on May 3, 2024, however due to Marvel altering their release calendar in an effort to fight the overexposure of superhero movies, it has been suggested that the movie might not arrive until late 2024 or even 2025.