Ronda Rousey is a big name in the world of UFC, where she is the bantamweight champion. But these days, she’s also a rising star in Hollywood, appearing in The Expendables 3, Fast & Furious 7, and a silver-screen adaptation of the HBO hit Entourage. However, Rousey says a summer match against Alexis Davis could greatly affect the rest of her career, both in and out of the ring.
“The only thing I care about is beating Alexis. My whole fighting career and my whole Hollywood career depend on it,” she said.
Rousey’s impressive stats–9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC–make her a formidable challenger, but Davis says she’s ready to take her on. Davis, a Brazilian jiujitsu black belt, reportedly has the chops to defend herself against Rousey’s armbar.
“I feel great. I’m privileged to have this opportunity. Whether the fans are behind me or not, Ronda and I are going to have an incredible fight. Either way, something is going to happen that you’re going to be talking about for weeks on end,” Davis said.
Rousey was in headlines last month after rumors began to spread that UFC President Dana White was planning a comeback for Gina Carano, and that her first fight since 2009 would be against Rousey. As the rumor grew, many had something to say about it, including Rousey’s arch rival Miesha Tate, who was afraid that the reasons for the match weren’t the right ones. Tate said that Rousey’s looks and Hollywood status were to blame.
“The only thing that drives that is they’re both attractive. It makes the women’s title hold no value. It makes it look like it’s a joke and they just put whatever’s going to sell. If we’re going to really legitimize women’s MMA as a sport and have it respected as a sport, then you have to treat it as such….women’s MMA has been working to legitimize ourselves for so long, and we finally broke the ice, we’re finally in the UFC, and we’re getting some credibility. Don’t take that away by putting a fight together that is based entirely on looks and has little to nothing to do with skill set,” Tate said.
Davis was chosen for the July 5 match instead, which will take place in Las Vegas. Until then, Rousey will be in training mode and will be putting Hollywood on the back burner. After UFC 175, however, she’ll go back to promoting her projects.
“All July, I will be doing the song and dance to promote ‘The Expendables 3,’” Rousey said.
