After a genteel fortnight of skiing, snowboarding, and skating, Saturday brings an ungenteel battle of two former Olympic medalists--Ronda Rousey and Sara McCann--for Rousey's bantamweight title, at UFC 170.
Rousey is a fascinating mix of grit and good looks. In addition to her mad mixed martial arts skills, she has been featured on ESPN The Magazine's 2012 Body Issue, will appear in Fast & Furious 7, and has been cast in the upcoming Entourage movie.
That mix has its drawbacks. Rousey claims she's been pigeonholed as a dumb blonde all her life. "Men just assumed I was an idiot," she says. "I like being complimented on how smart I am. So if you point out something I've done that's intelligent or riff off something smart I've said, that's a turn-on."
So if you want to catch Rousey's attention, you'll have to ride her reference train. Here are five more bits of wisdom from the woman whose nickname is "Rowdy."
Find a Workout That Challenges You Mentally
Rousey's mom was the first American female judo world champion, and Ronda started doing judo in her early teens. She credits the martial art with helping her forge a strong personality. "I was a shy and awkward kid and judo helped me interact with other kids and gave me confidence," she says. "Judo irrevocably changed who I am." Rousey won a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. She moved from doing judo to mixed martial arts because she says she was tired of doing the same thing. "I'm challenged mentally in the gym every day, learning new strikes and kicks and submissions. You have to find something you enjoy. I run from my car to the gym because I love it and I'm excited to be there," she says.
Seek Training Partners with No Ego
"It's very dangerous to train with people who are trying to 'win' practice," says Rousey. "I purposefully put myself in bad positions, and if I don't have someone tapping me out when I'm grappling or if I don't get thrown once the whole day, it means I didn't push myself to places where I'm uncomfortable. I seek out those places in training. I can't be put in a competitive setting when it's not appropriate."
Stay Emotionless in a Fight
After not shaking hands post-fight with her last opponent, Miesha Tate, because Rousey felt Tate had insulted the Rousey family, Ronda took some flack. However, she says she approaches every opponent the same way, whether she likes them or not. "I'm entirely emotionless when I fight," says Rousey. "Sara might be as sweet as pie, but she's trying to take away everything I've worked for my entire life. That's my mindset."
Don't Be That Jealous Guy
"Training is a family-like environment, but I'm pretty much sweating and rolling around with different guys all day," says Rousey. That's been an issue with previous boyfriends. "I need a guy who can trust me entirely and won't get jealous. I'm waiting for a guy that has the balls to handle it all on his own--and I don't have to hold his hand and walk him through it."
Her Ideal First Date
The Los-Angeles-based fighter says in a relationship she's a "big wuss" and "a pushover," and on a date all she's wants to do is have fun at the beach. "A great date? Buy me a latte, put me in your car, drive up the Pacific Coast Highway with some skim-boards in the trunk, find a good beach and go skimming for a bit," she says. "Then on the way back stop at a good spot for some food."
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