Nearly a decade after stepping away from MMA, Ronda Rousey is finally responding to comments from Demetrious Johnson that clearly stayed with her over the years.
Back in 2017, Rousey had disappeared from the public spotlight following consecutive losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes. While discussing pressure tied to title defenses during an interview with Sports Illustrated, Johnson referenced Rousey while explaining how he would react to defeat.
“You look at Ronda Rousey. You got your ass beat, grow the fck up, it happens. It’s mixed martial arts. I don’t want to be like that. If I lose, I’ll be like, ‘I lost.’ … Everybody fcking loses. It’s part of the sport. Grow up.”
“Look, Ronda, you lost two fcking fights in a row, and you made more fcking money than the women’s roster. You’ll be fine. Don’t worry about it.”
9 Years Later, Rousey Finally Addresses Johnson’s Criticism
At the time, Rousey never publicly answered those remarks. That changed this week. During a recent appearance in an Instagram video posted by All the Smoke, Rousey was asked to choose between several fighters in hypothetical matchups.
Once Johnson’s name came up, the former UFC bantamweight champion immediately shifted tone and made it clear she had not forgotten the comments from years ago.
“Fck you, DJ, OK? I was totally cool about you, and I put you over, and you were being – you said some nasty ass sht about me.”
Rousey Returns to MMA This Weekend
Rousey has not competed in MMA since her loss to Nunes at UFC 207. Following her exit from the UFC, she transitioned into professional wrestling and became one of WWE’s biggest stars.
Now, she is preparing for her first MMA fight in nearly 10 years.
Rousey headlines MVP’s first MMA event on Netflix this Saturday against fellow women’s MMA pioneer Gina Carano at the Intuit Dome in California. The event marks one of the most anticipated comeback fights in recent memory, with both former stars returning to the cage after lengthy absences from competition.
How will the fight go? See our predictions for MVP on Netflix here.