Ronda Rousey blames "media vilification" for refusal to attend UFC events to this day: “I’m pretty sure if I walked into the arena, I’d be booed"
Ronda Rousey is among the most popular mixed martial arts fighters of all time. She is also among the most successful fighters, defending the women's bantamweight title six times. Despite finding tremendous success within the promotion, the UFC Hall of Famer has largely stayed away from the sport since her last bout, which was at UFC 207 in 2016.
Speaking to Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes of the High Performance podcast, 'Rowdy' was asked about her comment that the mixed martial arts world hated her and why people don't believe it was enough, responding:
"Ask the MMA media that. They're the ones saying it... That I was a fraud and I was hype and I was exposed and I was never anything and just lucky and all of these things. That I wasn't gracious or a good loser, or every other thing that I just assume at this point because I don’t take the time to read it."
She continued:
"Everything that could be said that was negative was said, and I feel really vilified by MMA media at this point and I'm not really welcome back, which is why I haven’t gone to a UFC fight since because I’m pretty sure if I walked into the arena, I’d be booed. Yeah, that’s how it feels."
Check out Ronda Rousey's comments on her refusal to attend UFC events below (53:40):
Rousey added that she wished it didn't bother her but noted that she gave everything she had, and it wasn't enough for the MMA community. She added that many fighters don't give everything they have since, either way, it will not be enough for the fans.
Ronda Rousey reveals that she receives more love outside of the MMA community
Ronda Rousey was on top of the mixed martial arts world with a 12-0 record prior to losing her UFC women's bantamweight title to Holly Holm via second-round knockout at UFC 193. She fought just once more, suffering a first-round TKO loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207.
In the same interview, 'Rowdy' shared that she gets more love outside of the MMA community, stating:
"I'm sure [love for her] is out there and I appreciate it, but specifically in the MMA community I feel like it's not so much. Outside of it, the average person on the street, people that I meet at the grocery store or the playground with my kid, everyone's so nice and gracious, but I'm just saying from the world that I came from, I don't think that is the way that I'm really viewed, but I don't really read their media or their comments or anything like that anymore." [56:40]
Rousey noted that she used to read comments in her photos and ones that she was tagged in online to seek outside validation. She was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018.