Prior to the Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman pre-fight press conference, Ronda Rousey opened up to fans via a live Q&A session. Fans were able to ask Rousey questions via Twitter and Facebook and the Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight champion would answer via a live USTREAM video.
Rousey is set to take on Sarah Kaufman in the main event on Saturday night, live on Showtime in San Diego, California.
Thanks to the folks at MMAmania.com for the transcription of her Q&A session below.
Ronda Rousey: I try to stay up as late as possible the night before a fight, we stay up and watch movies with friends, sleep in the next day, eat breakfast and chill out before it’s time to go to the arena around 7 o’clock. I usually just bring a hoodie and comfortable things and stay chill and relaxed the whole day until it’s time to get focused. That’s why I looked pissed off at Heidi Androl because she was interrupted my warm-up.
Ronda Rousey: I don’t owe it to anyone to show I can fight in any specific way. If I can continue to make my judo work, I feel that would help judo more. Knocking someone out would help my own ego, but it doesn’t matter.
Ronda Rousey: The first MMA fight I ended up watching, Manny Gamburyan brought me a VHS video of one of his fights where he knocked the guy out in 30 seconds when I was 16 years old. I remember seeing Karo bounce around in his little shorts and I didn’t take it serious. I started taking it seriously when Manny was on The Ultimate Fighter when he was fighting Nate Diaz. We all started watching MMA and making it a thing from then on out.
Ronda Rousey: I think that Bones Jones is gonna win. A: I think he’s awesome and B: he’s constantly improving and getting better. Dan Henderson is getting older and towards the end of his career. Jon Jones can go nowhere but up and unfortunately, Dan Henderson can go nowhere but down. That’s just the way of the sport.
Ronda Rousey: I watched the two All Access shows and I liked it a lot. I liked how they focused on the backstory of women’s MMA and other women’s MMA fighters. As an athlete, I wish they’d show more of the training, but that’s the point of all-access. I almost wish there were more episodes because there was more of a story to tell.
Ronda Rousey: I like Sarah Kaufman, but that has nothing to do with whether or not I’m going to try to kill her on Saturday.
Ronda Rousey: I used to do physical therapy on animals, mostly dogs and I think a veterinarian or working with animals would have been my career in an alternate reality if I hadn’t become a fighter.
Ronda Rousey: I would want to throw the spinning backwards elbow that Jon Jones throws if I could take any move from a fighter.
Ronda Rousey: What makes my ground game good is everything fits together. Any failed attempt can lead to another submission.
Ronda Rousey: I would like to fight both Cyborg and Carana. They’d get attention for different reasons. I strongly dislike Cyborg while I like Gina Carana. Cyborg is the one I would want to beat up the most while I’d just like a win over Gina.
Ronda Rousey: I watched the Olympics and my favorite event was women’s gymnastics. I got goosebumps watching those girls for sure.
Ronda Rousey: I fight like my little sister’s life depends on it. I feel I have enough control over myself mentally that I can treat every fight that seriously, no matter if we talk trash or if Sarah brought me ice cream with sprinkles before the fight.
Ronda Rousey: I can play the basoon. I was first chair in school and that’s something people wouldn’t know about me. I thought it was cool.
Ronda Rousey: I’m friends with both Diaz brothers. I don’t think I’ve worked with Nate with a gi on standing like I have with Nick. He doesn’t try to rough me up or anything and we try to learn from each other. I don’t want to piss them off by picking favorites.
Ronda Rousey: There’s no such thing as courage if you aren’t afraid.
Ronda Rousey: I don’t like doing anything where if I fail I could be in a worse off position. Like if you go for a leg lock and you miss, you could be in a worse position. The same thing with shooting for takedowns. No-gi was difficult to adapt to because I was so used to having handles. Now when I have the gi on, I feel like I’m walking through mud. I’m addicted to the fast pace and I’m much more comfortable in no-gi.
Ronda Rousey: I don’t want to give away the ending on Saturday, but I’m gonna win.
Keep it locked to MMASucka.com this weekend for full Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman coverage.
(Photo by Esther Lin for Showtime Sports)
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