Ronda Rousey Sounds Off On UFC 229 Melee
Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey didn’t get a chance to watch UFC 229, but she sure hasn’t missed the aftermath.
Now WWE Raw Women’s Champion, Rousey recently spoke to TMZ on the now-infamous UFC 229 melee. She was accompanied by her husband and former Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Travis Browne. As usual, Rousey wasn’t afraid to say her piece.
Rousey’s UFC 229 Thoughts
“I understand promoting fights and having to sell them,” said Rousey. “I really do, I get it. But I don’t think people have to get arrested in order to do that. I think I’ve been able to prove that you can make a fight exciting and make people really wanna see it without crossing any legal lines.
“But I’m glad it was a great match. I’m sorry it’s kind of soured by the aftermath. Their performances aren’t going to get enough credit because of what happened and I really hope it doesn’t become an ongoing trend. I want people to feel safe bringing their kids to fights.”
Its impossible to point the finger at one person. Yes, Khabib Nurmagomedov lept over the cage and pandemonium ensued, but as Khabib pointed during the post-fight press conference his actions were a direct result of months of disrespect from Conor McGregor.
The lack of punishment by the UFC is another area of discontent. Rousey believes the Brooklyn bus incident was a far greater offense. One that essentially went unchecked by the UFC.
Rousey On Equal Treatment
“I think that Khabib jumping out of the octagon was not as bad as throwing objects at a bus because my friend Rose Namajunas was on that bus. My friend, Michael Chiesa, missed his fight because [he suffered an injured from broken glass],” said Rousey. “So I just feel like there has to be equal treatment all the way across the board. I don’t think that anyone should get special treatment because they’re a bigger draw.
“I think that’s the same when it comes to performance-enhancing drugs when it comes to felonies when it comes to hit and runs or anything like that, I think there’s too much preferential treatment given to high-profile fighters. There needs to be equal discipline across the board because people are going to start thinking that once they get to a certain level then the rules don’t apply for them.”
Nurmagomedov’s $2 million dollar fight purse is still being withheld by the Nevada State Athletic Commision pending a full investigation. However, McGregor did receive his $3 million dollar payday. Although both men were issued temporary suspensions pending the completion of the NSAC’s investigation.
“I would be much more strict about everything. I say you get popped for steroids once, you’re banned for life. You know, but then again I’m not the promoter of a multi-million dollar organization. It’s just – you have to think about, you know, from their perspective when is it not worth it anymore? I don’t want the company to be prioritizing this quarter over the next 10 years.
“I don’t want it to get to the point where people are not buying tickets to go see fights live, because they are afraid of what could happen in the arena.”
Watch Ronda Rousey talk to TMZ Sports here:
