GLENDALE, Calif. — Ronda Rousey has goals different from the rest of us. Let’s just say, she sets the bar high.
The UFC women’s bantamweight champion said Wednesday at a UFC 184 media day at her Glendale Fighting Club gym that she’ll know it’s time to retire when she believes she’s the greatest MMA fighter of all time — man or woman.
“Definitely it’s a goal of mine,” Rousey said. “Whether I achieve that or not, whether or not people perceive it one way or another has nothing to do with the accomplishment. I’ll know when I reach the point, like ‘OK, I’m the most dominant and the greatest of all time.’ I know that I’m there and I’ll be ready to hang up my gloves and move on. But whether or not anyone else sees it that way doesn’t matter. Because I’ll see it that way.”
Basically, the undefeated Rousey (10-0) doesn’t care about perception. She doesn’t pay attention to what other people might think of her. Her decisions will be based solely on how she feels herself.
“Rowdy” can already make a claim to being the greatest women’s MMA fighter ever, though she has only been a pro for four years. Rousey, 28, has finished all of her opponents, all but one (Miesha Tate) in the first round. Her last two foes, Sara McMann and Alexis Davis, succumbed in a combined 82 seconds. Rousey, a former Olympic bronze medalist in judo, will meet Cat Zingano with the belt on the line at UFC 184 on Feb. 28 in Los Angeles.
Edmond Tarverdyan, Rousey’s coach, believes she has already achieved the title of most dominant MMA fighter in the world.
“Her finishes show it,” he said. “The way she gets in there, everything shows it. Absolutely. Dominant the word is like, do you the finish fights? Has she finished everything? You ask yourself the question and there is the answer.”
Indeed, Rousey rules over her division unlike any athlete in the UFC right now. But still, she is only considered the most dominant “female” fighter, not the most dominant regardless of gender. UFC president Dana White joked last week that Rousey might have to start fighting men if she runs through Zingano the way she has routed everyone else.
Rousey believes she has more work to do in order to achieve the distinction of best ever without the caveat of “woman” in front of it. If she gets there — when she does, in her estimation — Rousey will know to call it a career. But it’ll only be when she feels she is, not when she’s called the greatest by the masses.
“I’m still working on it,” Rousey said. “I’m trying to be as dominant as possible and maybe one day that asterisk will disappear. But I can only control what’s put in front of me to control, not how people perceive my accomplishments.”