Athlete rivalries are the spice of life in sports, but sometimes competitors can take things too far.
Case in point: Ronda Rousey repeatedly flipping off MMA rival Miesha Tate on Wednesday night’s episode of The Ultimate Fighter.
Rousey’s middle-finger festival was spotted by Simon Samano of For The Win, and it left MMA fans stewing over the UFC Bantamweight champion’s over-the-top gamesmanship.
The incident began when Rousey and Tate—coaches on this year’s TUF— were tasked with a head-to-head rock-wall climbing challenge. The first one to ring the bell at the top of the rock wall would earn their team $15,000.
The competition was close, but Rousey managed to reach the bell first. After ringing the bell, Rousey screamed “F*** you, b****!” and unleashed a barrage of middle fingers Tate’s way.
Tate ignored Rousey, who continued to flip the bird as the two coaches were lowered to the ground.
Some viewers were turned off by Rousey’s antics and took to Twitter to express their disappointment.
Ronda Rousey has no class. She’s an embarrassment to the UFC.
— Matt Lytle (@MattLytle) November 21, 2013
@RondaRousey sore loser/sore winner. I’ve lost all respect. This girl is 100% #teamtate @MieshaTate — Lora Feistel (@magillrn) November 21, 2013
@MieshaTate please give @RondaRousey the beating of her life. She is punk with no respect. I can stand her. #TeamTate
— Bobby Imperato (@bwaybound83) November 21, 2013
Rousey and Tate have never gotten along, that much was established by their 2012 StrikeForce showdown.
The trash talking and pre-fight hype saw both fighters chomping at the bit to destroy one another, and the fight ended in an arm-bending Rousey victory.
The two are set to meet in the ring this December at UFC 168, so it could be believed that Rousey’s antics on TUF are just viral marketing for the bout.
Or Rousey still really hates Tate, and the world is in for another amazing fight next month.
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