Rousey puts her UFC women’s bantamweight title on the line against Correia this Saturday in the main event of UFC 190, and Las Vegas oddsmakers have already made Rousey a whopping 17-to-1 favorite in some sports books. If that number holds up, it’ll stand as the biggest and most lopsided line in UFC history. Add in the fact that it’s a title fight in the challenger’s own backyard, and suffice to say the pressure carried on Rousey’s shoulders is enormous.
But that’s just the way she likes it.
“This definitely is the most personal fight that I’ve ever been in and it’s the most pressure that I’ve ever been under, and that’s another reason why Bethe is just never meant to be the champion,” Rousey said at UFC 190’s open workouts. “Because she said that, ‘oh, I have no pressure on me, no one expects anything out of me, so that’s an advantage.’
“So you’re saying that you do the best with less pressure? Like, that’s what’s best for you? You’re not meant for this life. You’re not. I do the best the more pressure there is. I fight above myself. I’ve never been under more pressure in my life, and I’m going to show the world what I’m really made of.”
Rousey hasn’t made a secret of her disdain for Correia. While the pair’s rivalry may have started out friendly enough, it took a turn in May when Correia told Brazilian media that she hoped Rousey didn’t commit suicide after losing her UFC title.
Rousey’s father took his own life when Rousey was a young girl, and the tragedy was understandably one of the turning points of Rousey’s athletic career.
Since hearing Correia’s comments, Rousey has repeatedly vowed to make an example of the undefeated Brazilian.
“I can’t have girls taking the same approach as Bethe,” Rousey reiterated Wednesday. “Ender’s Game was one of my favorite books growing up, and one the messages I took (from the book) is when you beat somebody, you have to beat them so well and thoroughly that you beat them all of the future times. You have to win all of the future possible fights.
“So I have to beat this girl so thoroughly that there’s not future girls who pick on my family in order to get a quicker title shot. Pick on me all you want, but leave them out of it. That’s what I really want to accomplish.”
Correia ultimately backtracked away from her comments, claiming that she was unaware of Rousey’s father’s suicide when she made her initial remarks.
Her mea culpa didn’t exactly come with an apology though, as Correia said only, “I’m humble enough to ask [you] for forgiveness.” And Rousey isn’t willing to let that fact slide.
“I don’t believe her at all,” Rousey said. “How could you know that many more obscure facts about my life and not know about that? I don’t know if I’m more insulted by what she said or by her phony attempt to save face, because she never even apologized. That’s the thing. She was just like, ‘I’m humble enough to ask for forgiveness.’
“You’re complimenting yourself and you’re asking for forgiveness without apologizing. And it’s all a lie. So that’s like A, B, and C of bulls**t, and I just don’t have the capacity for bulls**t.”
For better or worse, the incident ultimately became a driving narrative of UFC 190, and the fallout has done little to slow Correia’s trash talk.
Correia captured Rousey’s attention by defeating two of her training partners, Jessamyn Duke and Shayna Baszler, thereby forcing a rivalry with Rousey’s Four Horsewomen group. The storyline took on a life of its own, which eventually led to Correia being granted her title shot. She has since continued to throw shots at Rousey nearly every chance she gets, even implying that Rousey is a one-trick pony who is fallible without her trademark armbars.
“The thing is, when you’re trying to address someone who doesn’t know what they’re talking about, you have to keep in mind that they don’t know what they’re talking about,” Rousey said. “My last five fights were all very different. It was a very different progression of events that happened in every single one, and it just kind of speaks to her ignorance.
“It’s like watching boxing (and saying), ‘oh, well it always ends with a punch, so they always do the same thing.’ Every single one of those armbars, the knockout with the knee, the knockout with the overhand right, they were all extremely different. If they all looked the same to you, that really shows how little you understand.”
Rousey puts her UFC women’s bantamweight title on the line against Correia this Saturday in the main event of UFC 190, and Las Vegas oddsmakers have already made Rousey a whopping 17-to-1 favorite in some sports books. If that number holds up, it’ll stand as the biggest and most lopsided line in UFC history. Add in the fact that it’s a title fight in the challenger’s own backyard, and suffice to say the pressure carried on Rousey’s shoulders is enormous.
But that’s just the way she likes it.
“This definitely is the most personal fight that I’ve ever been in and it’s the most pressure that I’ve ever been under, and that’s another reason why Bethe is just never meant to be the champion,” Rousey said at UFC 190’s open workouts. “Because she said that, ‘oh, I have no pressure on me, no one expects anything out of me, so that’s an advantage.’
“So you’re saying that you do the best with less pressure? Like, that’s what’s best for you? You’re not meant for this life. You’re not. I do the best the more pressure there is. I fight above myself. I’ve never been under more pressure in my life, and I’m going to show the world what I’m really made of.”
Rousey hasn’t made a secret of her disdain for Correia. While the pair’s rivalry may have started out friendly enough, it took a turn in May when Correia told Brazilian media that she hoped Rousey didn’t commit suicide after losing her UFC title.
Rousey’s father took his own life when Rousey was a young girl, and the tragedy was understandably one of the turning points of Rousey’s athletic career.
Since hearing Correia’s comments, Rousey has repeatedly vowed to make an example of the undefeated Brazilian.
“I can’t have girls taking the same approach as Bethe,” Rousey reiterated Wednesday. “Ender’s Game was one of my favorite books growing up, and one the messages I took (from the book) is when you beat somebody, you have to beat them so well and thoroughly that you beat them all of the future times. You have to win all of the future possible fights.
“So I have to beat this girl so thoroughly that there’s not future girls who pick on my family in order to get a quicker title shot. Pick on me all you want, but leave them out of it. That’s what I really want to accomplish.”
Correia ultimately backtracked away from her comments, claiming that she was unaware of Rousey’s father’s suicide when she made her initial remarks.
Her mea culpa didn’t exactly come with an apology though, as Correia said only, “I’m humble enough to ask [you] for forgiveness.” And Rousey isn’t willing to let that fact slide.
“I don’t believe her at all,” Rousey said. “How could you know that many more obscure facts about my life and not know about that? I don’t know if I’m more insulted by what she said or by her phony attempt to save face, because she never even apologized. That’s the thing. She was just like, ‘I’m humble enough to ask for forgiveness.’
“You’re complimenting yourself and you’re asking for forgiveness without apologizing. And it’s all a lie. So that’s like A, B, and C of bulls**t, and I just don’t have the capacity for bulls**t.”
For better or worse, the incident ultimately became a driving narrative of UFC 190, and the fallout has done little to slow Correia’s trash talk.
Correia captured Rousey’s attention by defeating two of her training partners, Jessamyn Duke and Shayna Baszler, thereby forcing a rivalry with Rousey’s Four Horsewomen group. The storyline took on a life of its own, which eventually led to Correia being granted her title shot. She has since continued to throw shots at Rousey nearly every chance she gets, even implying that Rousey is a one-trick pony who is fallible without her trademark armbars.
“The thing is, when you’re trying to address someone who doesn’t know what they’re talking about, you have to keep in mind that they don’t know what they’re talking about,” Rousey said. “My last five fights were all very different. It was a very different progression of events that happened in every single one, and it just kind of speaks to her ignorance.
“It’s like watching boxing (and saying), ‘oh, well it always ends with a punch, so they always do the same thing.’ Every single one of those armbars, the knockout with the knee, the knockout with the overhand right, they were all extremely different. If they all looked the same to you, that really shows how little you understand.”
