It appears as though UFC women’s bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey will be training with “the baddest wrestler on the planet” prior to her UFC 170 contest with Sara McMann.
Speaking with Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting, former Bellator featherweight champion Joe Warren indicated that Rousey had asked for his help.
Looks like I might be helping Ronda in the wrestling regard. I’d be happy to help either one of them; they are great fighters. We can’t ask for two better women to get in there and get after it. I think it’s my wrestling credentials and maybe (knowing McMann). I understand MMA wrestling better than anybody else. It’s a whole different thing than wrestling. They are smart, technical fighters and I’m the baddest wrestler there is. If you can get me to come help you, it’s gonna be great.
Warren’s ridiculous self-entitled labels aside, it would be a good move to bring in Warren. The former Bellator champion was the 2006 world champion in Greco-Roman wrestling and appeared to be on the fast track to a medal at the 2008 Olympic Games before a failed test for marijuana ruled him ineligible.
Greco-Roman wrestling utilizes takedowns from the clinch, something Rousey is already well-versed in. But I imagine Rousey is bringing in Warren to help her with defensive techniques rather than offensive ones.
Rousey’s judo throws and takedowns have become so ingrained in her mind and muscle memory that it would be foolish to attempt a technique she learned in a matter of a few weeks. Make no mistake, Rousey’s bread and butter is judo, and I expect her to utilize those skills in her title defense.
Regardless of the reasoning, it certainly won’t hurt to bring in a guy with the wrestling credentials of Warren. He is a loud person (he’s the baddest man on the planet, just ask him), but aside from the vibrant personality, Warren is still a good wrestler.
Warren also trained with McMann at the Olympic training center, but it remains to be seen how much of a benefit that will be for Rousey and her camp.
Rousey will look to add another arm (bar) to her collection when she faces McMann, a former Olympic silver medalist in freestyle wrestling, in the UFC 170 main event.
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