Mixed martial arts (MMA) may have seen the end of their biggest star in the main event of UFC 207 last night (December 30, 2016) from Las Vegas, where it took only 48 seconds for bulldozing champion Amanda Nunes to send Ronda Rousey’s return packing.
After her biggest win, Nunes was all at once celebratory, cautionary, and respectful, tweeting out one of many brutal memes, calling out Rousey’s coach Edmond Tarverdyan, and giving thanks for the path Rousey had paved for her and other female fighters.
There’s no doubting Rousey is the most important singular figure in women’s MMA history, and that fact is likely to never change. Nunes acknowledged that in a post-fight interview with FOX Sports, but also agreed the fight was too easy.
‘The Lioness’ believed she would destroy Rousey, so she didn’t let the promotional focus being on the former champ get to her:
Yeah, I know it’s gonna be like that. I’m gonna capitalize and walk away with my belt; I know that. The whole time, the whole time everything the UFC did with the promoting, I know Ronda Rousey’s going down.”
More importantly, Nunes gave respect for what Rousey had accomplished for women’s MMA, yet remained steadfast in her belief that Rousey would retire because she doesn’t need to fight and can’t take punches:
Yeah, I hug her and then tell her to keep it up, you know? She did a lot for this sport, and be proud, and go do something else, you know? because she don’t need to, like, go through this thing again. I don’t think she need it. She have money; she can stop and go do something else. Yeah, she’s gonna retire after that for sure. I don’t think she wanna take some hit anymore, because she can’t take it. If I give to her the rematch, I don’t think she’s gonna take it.’
As for the meme, which instantly caught fire online, Nunes said she had been waiting for weeks to use, and thought it was funny despite the brutal nature of what could be Rousey’s final fight
“Somebody send that thing to me like two weeks ago. And then I wait for this moment to put that thing. Right when I walk away, I wanted that picture, to post that. Was funny.”
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