Ronda Rousey: 'I don't think it's a good idea to fight a man. You could have a girl getting beat up by a guy - that's a bad image to put across'

UFC women's bantamweight champion says idea is 'better in theory than fact'

Tom Sheen
Friday 13 March 2015 12:24 EDT
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Ronda Rousey celebrates her victory over Cat Zingano
Ronda Rousey celebrates her victory over Cat Zingano (GETTY IMAGES)

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She may be billed as the Baddest Woman on the Planet after winning her last title fight in just 14 seconds, but UFC champion Ronda Rousey doesn't believe fighting a man will be a good idea.

It's an idea that has been kicking around for a while - Manny Pacquiao said she would beat Floyd Mayweather while Iron Mike Tyson said she 'might kick my ass' - but Rousey is not keen on the idea because of the image it could put across.

According to a US Department of Justice report, 22.1 per cent of women in the US have been physically assaulted by a current or former spouse.

The recent case of Ray Rice in the National Football League has put the issue into the spotlight in America and while Rousey, who accidentally broke the rib of a presenter after he suggested she couldn't beat a man, has claimed she could beat "100 per cent" of men in the same weight class, she doesn't think it's a "great idea".

Rousey (right) punches Alexis Davis
Rousey (right) punches Alexis Davis (Donald Miralle Zuffa LLC)

"I don’t think it’s a great idea to have a man hitting a woman on television," Rousey told the Daily Beast.

"I’ll never say that I’ll lose, but you could have a girl getting totally beat up on TV by a guy — which is a bad image to put across.

"With all the football [domestic violence] stuff that’s been happening, not a good idea. It’s fun to theorize about and talk about, but it’s something that’s much better in theory than fact."

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