Octagon and Hollywood to share Rousey
Wednesday 29 July 2015 09:57, UK
Ronda Rousey will continue balancing her undefeated UFC career with time on the silver screens of Hollywood.
The pioneering bantamweight champion, the first female to fight in MMA’s top organisation when she beat Liz Carmouche two years ago, defends her belt against Brazil’s Bethe Correia in Rio de Janeiro at UFC 190 on Saturday night.
But she is already excited about a gruelling schedule of combining a trilogy fight with long-time rival Miesha Tate and her upcoming movie Mile 22 which follows hot on the heels of appearances in The Expendables, Fast & Furious 7 and Entourage.
I need these other girls. It's not like I can do this by myself. I need a dancing partner.
"Here's pretty much the plan," Rousey told Fox Sports. "I'm going to beat up Bethe, then I'm going to take a couple of weeks to rest, and then I'm going to beat up Miesha.
"Then I'm going to go to Thailand or wherever we decide to film Mile 22 and prep for like a month, and then start filming for eight to 10 weeks, and then beat up the next girl."
The 11-0 unbeaten champion has carved out her burgeoning movie career after stealing the spotlight as one of female sport’s most dominant athletes, but accepts that she requires a constant source of opposition to maintain her superiority.
Rousey has already defeated the top four ranked opponents in her division, meaning a third contest against bitter rival Tate beckons if she defends her title against Correira this weekend.
"I need these other girls," Rousey said. "It's not like I can do this by myself. I need a dancing partner.
"The analogy that I use is that these girls are like plants. Sometimes you can grow a crop and you can harvest it year after year, like Miesha. Sometimes you harvest it once and it will never grow back.
"I don't think Bethe will ever come back after this. But I think this might be the final season I can harvest the Tate crop."
Rousey defeated Tate twice amid a feud littered with bad blood using her trademark armbar submission hold in 2012 and 2013.
But Tate, now on a four-fight win streak, remains the only opponent to get out of the first round against Rousey so a third scrap could be on the cards.
"I'm interested in just defending my title as many times as I need to before I feel like I'm done," Rousey said.
"I'm an entertainer. I'm not just here for myself. She's the one that has piqued my interest after I'm done beating Bethe."
