There was a point in time, after the Olympics, when Ronda Rousey was living in her car. It’s safe to say that things are much better for her now, given that she’s the UFC’s biggest mainstream star and a budding Hollywood actress.
The UFC women’s bantamweight champion told CBS This Morning on Wednesday that MMA at first “was about not getting evicted.” No more.
“Now I’m at the point right now where I’m like, OK, my house is paid off, my car is paid off,” she said. “I pretty much only have to pay taxes and feed my dog. I could probably retire right now. So it’s not about money anymore. What do I need more than that? Nothing. I’ve never sat around like, my life would be so much better if I had a Ferrari.”
Rousey’s motivation for continuing fighting has nothing to do with financial gain. “Rowdy” said it’s deeper than that.
“Now it’s gotten to a point where it’s about legacy for me,” Rousey said. “I want to build something that survives me. I want to show up at a UFC event 20 years in the future and be able to sit front row and watch two girls fight for the belt that I gave back to Dana one day. I want to smile so hard that my face hurts. I want to feel like I was part of creating something great.”
Rousey (11-0) has won every single one of her fights via finish and all but one in the first round (Miesha Tate). At UFC 190 on Aug. 1, she’ll defend her title against Bethe Correia. Rousey is as much as a 15-to-1 favorite in that fight even though the card will take place in Correia’s home country of Brazil.
In just over two years, the 28-year-old has become a transcendent star. Rousey films a movie in which she’ll be co-starring in a movie, “Mile 22,” with Mark Wahlberg this year.