UFC queen Ronda Rousey draws comparisons with Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali
By James Dielhenn
Last Updated: 21/10/15 12:30pm
Ronda Rousey has declared she wants to be mentioned in the same breath as boxing greats Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali.
The UFC pioneer became the first female to compete in the world's premier MMA organisation two years ago, and has forged a flawless 12-0 record as the inaugural women's bantamweight champion.
Her fights are frequently eye-catching and quick, with her last three opponents surviving just 14, 16 and 34 seconds each - but Rousey wants to be immortalised like two of boxing's famous champions.
"I want my name to be mentioned along with Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali," she told SELF Magazine.
"And I don't want the word 'woman' to be in front of champion."
I want my name to be mentioned along with Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali. And I don't want the word 'woman' to be in front of champion.
Ronda Rousey
After winning a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics in judo, Rousey successfully transitioned into MMA fighting and has since sky-rocketed into Hollywood movies.
She will defend her world title against Holly Holm in Australia in November, but makes no apologies for her belief that no woman will ever defeat her.
She said: "If I say that I'm the best in the world, sometimes people think that's really cocky and arrogant, but I had to work hard to be able to believe in myself. In your teens, you start to become super self-conscious. I had to build that up.
"When I was a kid, all I did was train. I never went to a dance, I never had a date, I never went to a single party.
"Training was my whole life, and it was because I wanted to be able to win the Olympics more than I wanted to go to the movies with my friends.
"It's funny, because people get offended by the mind-set that it takes to be the best."
