Ronda Rousey: The Emotional Involvement of TUF Takes A Lot Out of You

UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey has made the very difficult look seemingly easy, mowing down each and every opponent in her way via first round armbar.  However, it’s something entirely different that is proving to be her toughest challenge. Speaking up during a Facebook chat sponsored by Metro PCS, Rousey chronicled her experience on the already tumultuous season of TUF 18:

“It’s a lot more work than I thought it would be, and it’s a lot more emotionally taxing than I thought it would be.  You care a lot about these kids.  I just felt like any kind of heartbreak or triumph, whatever they’re going through, I share in it.  It’s exhausting going through that over and over and over with every competitor. You’re just so emotionally invested in every person that it really takes a lot out of you.”

UFC President Dana White has been on record saying that the currently filming season of The Ultimate Fighter is not going well, but that could very well translate into exceptional ratings. The conflict between Rousey and her rival coach Miesha Tate has a well-publicized and lengthy history, and the champ has some additional emotional investment in the form of her competitors.

The new season of TUF is the very first to feature both male and female competitors, and will also feature the first ever women’s main event bout at the finale. It appears that Rousey has truly grown fond of the coaching side of MMA, and it has been a bit of an adjustment for her. No word on how Miesha Tate is handling being a coach, but the bad blood between her and “Rowdy” will always be present. Will it be yet another submission victory for Rousey once the season comes to an end?