Ronda Rousey won't fight a man, cites domestic violence issues

rousey-ronda-021015-usnews-getty-ftr

Even though Ronda Rousey says she could beat a man in her own weight class under the right circumstances, she will never be involved in a coed fight.

"It's not a reality," Rousey said to Doug Gottlieb when asked about fighting a man. "They're not gonna do anything like that. Fights are chaotic. Anything can happen. And there's no setting in which we should condone a man hitting a woman."

After Rousey defeated Cat Zingano in 14 seconds, many voiced their curiosity to see how well the bantamweight champion would do against a male. UFC president Dana White even made a joke about Rousey fighting a man after Zingano's beatdown. However, Rousey will have no part of it.

"I really just don't think that any athletic commission on earth would ever condone something like that," Rousey said. "Fights are going to go both ways. You're going to see both people hitting each other. I don't think we should celebrate a man hitting a woman in any kind of setting."

Rousey's mother, former judo world champion AnnMaria De Mars, echoed her daughter's sentiments.

"That's a stupid idea," De Mars said to reporters after the UFC 184 post-fight press conference. "Seriously, that's a stupid idea. I'm as much a feminist as anyone but the fact is that biologically, there's a difference between men and women. Hello, duh. A woman who is 135 pounds and a man who is 135 pounds are not physically equal."

Even though Rousey is on board for equality between the sexes, she doesn't think a fight will prove that.

"Me fighting a man will change the perception of a women being an inferior creature?" Rousey said when Gottlieb said her defeating a man would be a victory for women. "Is that what you're saying? I really don't think that's necessary."

Author(s)