Ben Rothwell Rips Ronda Rousey: She Was ‘Never A Champion’
Former UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey has been the hot topic in the media ever since she made her long awaited return at last weekend’s (Fri., Dec. 30, 2016) UFC 207 from Las Vegas, Nevada. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned for the ex-champion, as she was finished in just 48 seconds by Amanda Nunes.
That makes it two straight losses for the once dominant Rousey, and many are voicing their opinions on what her next step should be.
Like many others, heavyweight Ben Rothwell has his opinion, and he feels as if Rousey’s next move could determine her legacy. If she doesn’t return after the losing skid, “Big Ben” says ‘she never was a champion’:
“What matters is now,” Rothwell told Sirius XM’s “Fight Club”. “What’s she going to do now? What matters is six months from now if she walks away from the sport and never fights again, she never has to have her name brought up again. If she can’t come back from everything she’s been through and being put on such a high pedestal and making waves, then she loses two fights and she doesn’t come back from that? Well, then she’s a loser and she never was a champion.”
In addition to Rousey, her coach Edmond Tarverydyan has also received a tremendous amount of criticism in the MMA community as many feel as if he isn’t the best coach for the “Rowdy” one. Rousey’s boyfriend and UFC heavyweight Travis Browne has also struggled since training under Tarverdyan, and Rothwell feels as if Browne made the move simply so Rousey could be his ‘sugar mama’:
“I have no problems talking (expletive) on him because he brings (expletive) on himself,” Rothwell said. “He’s one of the guys – I try to be nice to him and cool, and the more I learn about him, the more of his history, he’s one of those guys that’s just a man-whore. He’s a phony, and a lot of (expletive) pisses me off with him. Why did you suddenly leave a great camp that made him good and move to a (expletive) gym that’s got a lot of guys losing? For me, I think it was a financial thing. He went there and found a sugar mama in his girlfriend. He’s just looking to get himself taken care of.
“He’s got some brains in, like, ‘Why should I fight? I’ll just get her to pay for everything.’ It’s a good financial move on his part, but it hasn’t done his personal career any good and a lot of people think the guy has regressed and he’s not getting any better. He’s lost his footwork, he’s lost a lot of different things that made him good. We’re going to find out with Derrick Lewis. Is the guy going to get motivated? That’s one thing about our sport you can look like you’re just out of it and forgotten about then next thing you know you can resurge yourself.”
Rothwell certainly had some strong feelings on Rousey and Browne, but he also made headlines when he offered to take a two-on-one fight against middleweight champion Michael Bisping and welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, two fighters who recently discussed a super fight against each other:
Ok I’m deadly serious I’ll fight @TWooodley and @bisping at the same time 2on1 and take both your titles. Let’s all make money ???? #ridicules
— Big Ben Rothwell (@RothwellFighter) January 6, 2017
What do you make of Rothwell’s variety of outspoken comments?
