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Ronda Rousey explains how women's MMA is yet to 'level up'
TL;DR
Ronda Rousey emphasizes the need for women in MMA to improve their promotional efforts, stating that simply fighting isn't enough. She believes that effective storytelling and media engagement are crucial for attracting viewers to their fights.
Key points
- Ronda Rousey advocates for better promotion in women's MMA.
- She highlights the importance of storytelling in attracting fight viewers.
- Rousey and Gina Carano will fight on May 16 in Inglewood, Calif.
Mentioned in this story
Ronda RouseyGina CaranoUFCInglewood, Calif.
MVP's first MMA card
NEW YORK – Ronda Rousey wants to see women in MMA do better on the promotional side.
Rousey is the one who convinced Dana White to have women in the UFC, where she emerged as one of their biggest stars. Rousey's dominance led to six title defenses as UFC bantamweight champion where she tore through competition with her signature armbar.
Before Rousey came Gina Carano, who is also considered a trailblazer. The women's MMA pioneers will square off in MVP's first MMA card live on Netflix, which takes place May 16 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.
"I don't know if it's leveled up yet," Rousey told MMA Junkie and other reporters during a scrum following an MVP press conference on Wednesday. "I think that they've done an incredible job, but I think a lot of them need to realize that just going in and fighting isn't the whole job, and really putting a lot of thought into media and stuff like this and being able to get your message across because your job isn't to win fights, it's to get people to watch your fights.
"It's awesome if people are watching the brand and then see your fight while it's there, but I think it's important for all the women to kind of learn from this and from what me and Gina are doing and what we've done in the past. We don't just show up and fight. It's storytelling. I put a lot of thought into anything that could be asked of me. Like that rant that I went on, it wasn't that I never thought about what I would say. Inevitably somebody is going to ask me, and I think a lot of the girls now are going to media and they're just winging it, and it shows. You need to put just as much effort into promotion as you do into fighting if you want anyone to watch your awesome fight."
Rousey was one of the biggest draws during her time in the UFC. She sold over 1 million pay-per-view buys in her title fights against Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Why ex-UFC champ Ronda Rousey thinks women's MMA is yet to 'level up'
Q&A
What does Ronda Rousey say about women's MMA promotion?
Ronda Rousey believes that women in MMA need to focus more on promotional efforts and storytelling, rather than just fighting.
When is the upcoming fight between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano?
The fight between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano is scheduled for May 16 during MVP's first MMA card live on Netflix.
How did Ronda Rousey influence women's participation in the UFC?
Ronda Rousey convinced Dana White to include women in the UFC, becoming one of its biggest stars and achieving six title defenses as bantamweight champion.