THE MOST DOMINANT champion in MMA returns to action this weekend and, even by her own high standards, Ronda Rousey really looks like she means business this time.
Rousey, the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s undefeated women’s bantamweight title-holder, is giving up home advantage to defend her belt against Brazil’s Bethe Correia — who has also yet to taste defeat — in the main event at UFC 190 in Rio de Janeiro.
There’s no love lost between Rousey and Correia heading into this one. Correia has been campaigning for a shot at the champion for a while, defeating two of Rousey’s training partners — Jessamyn Duke and Shayna Baszler — along the way.
However, things turned very sour back in May when Correia told reporters in Brazil: “There are a lot of people around [Ronda Rousey] because she is winning. When she realises she is not all that, I don’t even know what could happen. I hope she doesn’t commit suicide.”
Correia’s comments were particularly insensitive given that Rousey’s father took his own life when she was eight-years-old. The champion has subsequently vowed to make Corriea regret her comments when they meet this Saturday night, insisting that she’ll make this fight last longer than normal in order to dish out some additional punishment.
In Countdown to UFC 190: Ronda Rousey vs Bethe Correia, an emotional Rousey opens up about the impact Correia’s comments had as a result of her father’s death.
With the bookmakers installing the Brazilian as a 15/2 outsider, it doesn’t bode well when you’ve also pissed the world’s most dangerous woman off to the extent that simply winning won’t be enough to satisfy her on this occasion.
“I want to beat this chick,” said Rousey. “I want to beat her in the most embarrassing way possible. I’m going to make sure that girl does not leave looking the same way that she did walking in.”
The Countdown show — which you can watch in full below — also features footage of Rousey going through a pretty intense workout at Glendale Fighting Club in Los Angeles, under the watchful eyes of UFC president Dana White, CEO Lorenzo Fertitta and legendary former boxer Mike Tyson.
Rousey is an Olympic medallist in judo and has taken nine of her 11 wins by submission, but Tyson looks very impressed by the improvements in her striking. Again, more bad news for Bethe Correia.
