Ronda Rousey played with fire, and it was only a matter of time before she got burned.
The UFC women’s bantamweight champ has drawn tremendous heat for her recent post on Twitter regarding the tragic shooting on Dec. 14, 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, which reportedly left 20 children and six staff members dead.
On Tuesday, she reposted a controversial video from the YouTube channel ThinkOutsideTheTV, which highlighted a conspiracy theory about the shooting. In the post, Rousey called it an “extremely interesting, and must-watch” video.
The post was met with overwhelming anger and criticism from the general public. In an attempt to douse the flames, Rousey deleted the video and stated in a follow-up post that “asking questions and doing research is more patriotic than blindly accepting what you’re told.”
Rousey is an incredibly athlete and talented champion, but the brunt of her notoriety stems from a natural ability to play off the media.
Whether she’s feuding with Kim Kardashian or putting down beloved MMA icon Georges St-Pierre, Rousey has literally become a walking headline for outrageous stories.
In an individual sport like MMA, self-promotion is an admired trait. Rousey‘s unpredictable media antics have elevated women’s MMA to the bright lights of the UFC, and she has been allowed to speak freely throughout her career.
The time has finally come for Rousey to step back from the media spotlight and really reflect on her actions.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but there is a certain sensitivity that should be upheld when it comes to a tragedy, especially one including the deaths of numerous children.
It has only been a little over a month, and Rousey is already highlighting “extremely interesting” conspiracy videos?
Rousey likely meant no harm by reposting the video, and the incident could probably be chalked up to one of the many mistakes made by athletes using social media. She even posted a public apology on Wednesday.
Still, this incident should be the last straw for the UFC.
If a form of fine or suspension isn’t handed down, the UFC should definitely issue a stern warning. This isn’t the kind of negative publicity a growing sport needs right now. As a UFC star, Rousey‘s words hold considerable weight. It comes with the territory of being a celebrity.
For weeks, Rousey has talked about everything but Liz Carmouche, who will be her opponent at UFC 157.
Now might be a good time to log off Twitter and concentrate on the first ever UFC women’s title bout.
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