UFC President Dana White wasted little time declaring that he talked to his ‘good friend’ Ronda Rousey after Meisha Tate’s upset of Holly Holm and she was willing to get back in the gym to train for a match with the champion.
Dana went on SportsCenter immediately after the shocking losses at UFC 196 and revealed that Meisha Tate wouldn’t be giving Holly Holm an immediate rematch but instead facing ex-champion Ronda Rousey for the 3rd time.
“I think that Ronda now will fight Miesha Tate for the title,” said White. “That’s what’s going to happen. That’s what I said before this fight even happened.”
Dana called Ronda immediately after he left the post-fight press conference and this is what he said about the conversation.
“I texted Ronda, and Ronda wasn’t even watching the fight,” White said. “I texted Ronda, and she said, ‘What happened?’ I said, ‘Miesha just choked her unconscious.’ And she said, ‘Well, it looks like I got to get back to work.’ I don’t know what that means – if that means acting or fighting.
She’s scheduled to not come back until October or November, but that doesn’t mean I can’t ask. I can ask. Ronda Rousey has worked very hard for three-and-a-half years in this company and believe me, she did anything that was asked of her and went above and beyond the call of duty. If she wants to stay out until October, she can do that.”
The fact that Dana White felt the need to ask Ronda Rousey to come back early shows the scramble the UFC is in to book UFC 200 and the fact that a Tate win spurred Ronda to “get back to work” shows a major character flaw in Rousey.
Rousey has beat Tate twice before, which makes a third fight an easy decision. If Holm would’ve won, she was winning on all cards before being caught in the rear-naked choke, Ronda would’ve sat out until the fall to “prepare.” A champion is a person who’s willing to get into the octagon at any given moment, regardless of opponent.
A reaction like this from Rousey just shows how much her career was protected as champion and how much Dana White still lets Ronda call the shots.
Rousey’s willingness to fight a fighter she’s already defeated instead of the woman who took her head off shows Ronda is out for the belt and notoriety. At this point the title means more money, movies and talk show appearances for Rousey. She no longer chases the title for the love of the sport or the thrill of fighting, the UFC title is a meal ticket for Ronda and she is happy to take the “easy route” to the championship.
By the way, Meisha Tate has gotten better since those Rousey fights and if Ronda thinks this will be a walk in the park she’s sorely mistaken.