Ronda Rousey says she signed on as a coach of the wrestling reality show “The Ultimate Fighter" to inspire women in the profession of mixed martial arts, or MMA.
The UFC women's bantamweight champion will appear as a coach opposite her real-life nemesis Miesha Tate on the 18th season of the show.
Urgent: Should U.S. Strike Syria? Vote Here
“We needed to bring attention to all these girls who are so passionate and train so hard. They are valiant fighters and extremely passionate about what they do, Rousey
told Bleacher Report.
“They offer so much the guys don't, and I thought it was something people really needed to see. I thought 'The Ultimate Fighter 'could provide that vessel where people could start getting interested in these other women coming up," she added.
Rousey was the first American woman to earn an Olympic medal in Judo.
This season, which debuts Wednesday night at 10 on Fox Sports 1, features female coaches and female fighters for the first time since the show began in 2005,
Newsday reported.
Rousey said she not yet seen the show.
“But I'm aware that I'm going to look nuts. These kids that I'm responsible for have everything that is important in their lives on the line, and if that isn't something important enough to care about and cry about, then I don't know what is. I have no filter with my emotions, and people are going to see exactly what I'm feeling. I don't think that is a bad thing," she said.
The show features her tense interactions with Tate, who will challenge Rousey for the UFC 168 in December.
Rousey told Bleacher Report she missed her privacy while taping.
"They literally took my only safe place and made it something that I hated," she said. "I'm so thankful for being able to forge the relationships I did with my team, but you couldn't pay me $10 million to do that again. By the end, I was questioning my love for the sport. I'm just happy to get back home to my environment and have my gym be my reprieve again instead of it being a stage.”
Urgent: Should Obamacare be Repealed? Vote Here Now
Related stories:
Canada Decries U.S. Import Mixed Martial Arts
Tsarnaev Friend Killed in Orlando by FBI Agent
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.