Revisiting Paige VanZant's honest reaction to "shocking" ill-treatment by Ronda Rousey
Former UFC champion Ronda Rousey's fiery personality often spilled outside the octagon. One such instance involved a heated exchange with then-UFC contender Paige VanZant.
The highly anticipated bout between Rousey and Holly Holm at UFC 193 went awry for Rousey, with Holm delivering a shocking second-round knockout that dethroned 'Rowdy' from her championship reign. Many, including Paige VanZant, celebrated Holm's impressive victory.
However, Rousey reportedly took offense to VanZant's reaction and confronted her with a verbal outburst laced with profanity. Miesha Tate, another UFC fighter, recounted the incident on Joe Rogan's podcast in 2016, detailing how Rousey verbally attacked VanZant for congratulating Holm.
“I guess Ronda came up and was like, ‘[Expletive] you, you fair-weather [expletive], how dare you cross me?’ She’s like, ‘Cross you? What are you talking about?’ And [Rousey’s] like, ‘You congratulated Holly Holm for beating me so [expletive] you, you [expletive] fair-weather 115-pound.' She just went off on Paige. And Paige came and told me and I was like, ‘Honey, welcome to my world.’ She was like, ‘I’m glad I saw this side of her so I know’.” [H/t: The Washington Post]
VanZant, in an interview with TMZ Sports, expressed her surprise and disappointment at Rousey's behavior. She stated that congratulating the victor was a standard act of sportsmanship and found Rousey's reaction "shocking and totally unnecessary."
“It appears that I offended Ronda by congratulating Holly after her victory. The incident was very shocking and totally unnecessary.”
Paige VanZant to take on Elle Brooke for boxing debut
Paige VanZant is set to make her in-ring debut against Elle Brooke for the Misfits Boxing women's middleweight title. The clash is scheduled for May 25 at the NRG Arena in Houston, Texas, as part of the MF & DAZN: X Series 15 card.
VanZant's last competitive fight was in 2021 when she competed in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC). She lost both fights while competing in the promotion after transitioning from the UFC.
In contrast, Elle Brooke, before her debut in Misfits Boxing, had no professional fighting experience. However, Brooke quickly rose to prominence within the organization, amassing a 4-1 record.
VanZant recently discussed the perceived mismatch in their sporting backgrounds during an interview with MMA Fighting. Drawing parallels to her UFC debut against Felice Herrig, VanZant emphasized Brooke's toughness and dedication to training.
"She [Elle Brooke] is going to come trained and prepared, she's going to be working extremely hard. I watched her last few fights and she's very tough. I'm putting the same into it as if I'm fighting Felice Herrig again. I'm gonna get ready for war."
Check out Paige VanZant's comments below (04:45):