The verbal sparring between Kayla Harrison and Ronda Rousey shows no signs of cooling down. Rousey is preparing for a highly anticipated MMA comeback after nearly a decade, scheduled to face fellow veteran Gina Carano in a featherweight main event on May 16th at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California, as part of Most Valuable Promotions’ inaugural MMA event.
Leading up to her return, “Rowdy” has been actively promoting the fight, boldly declaring it “the biggest MMA fight of all time.” She has also responded to the reigning UFC women’s bantamweight champion, who criticized the hype surrounding the May 16th bout last month.
Harrison and Rousey have a history of contentious exchanges, often fueled by comparisons of their career achievements. Rousey, a UFC Hall of Famer and Olympic judo bronze medalist, was once on the same U.S. team as Harrison, who went on to win two Olympic gold medals in the sport.
The rivalry has now intensified into open animosity, with both fighters seizing opportunities to criticize each other.
Kayla Harrison Fires Back Hard At Ronda Rousey
In a recent interview with UFC on Paramount+, Kayla Harrison responded to Ronda Rousey, suggesting that “Rowdy” has been exaggerating her combat sports accomplishments. While acknowledging Rousey’s pioneering role in women’s MMA, Harrison took issue with how the former WWE star is promoting the Gina Carano fight, asserting a significant disparity remains between their respective careers.
“I think what bothers me most about Ronda is that, at one point, she was a genuine athlete,” Harrison stated. “She was training for the Olympics, she was an Olympic bronze medalist, she became UFC champion, and she was truly pursuing greatness. I will never deny that Ronda is arguably the most important female fighter.”
“And without her, I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today; I wouldn’t have a job. However, this fight is not the greatest fight of all time. It features someone who hasn’t competed in 10 years and is coming off two knockout losses, facing another woman who is a pioneer but hasn’t fought in 17 years and is in her 40s. So don’t call it the greatest fight of all time as if I’m chasing greatness. You are chasing money.”
English Translation
The war of words between Kayla Harrison and Ronda Rousey shows no sign of fading anytime soon. Rousey is slated to make a highly anticipated return to MMA after nearly a decade away, facing fellow veteran Gina Carano in a featherweight main event at Most Valuable Promotions’ first MMA show on May 16th at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California.
Ahead of her comeback, “Rowdy” has gone all out in promoting the fight, boldly branding it as “the biggest MMA fight of all time,” while also hitting back at the reigning UFC women’s bantamweight champion, who took aim at the hype surrounding the May 16th bout last month.
Harrison and Rousey share a history of verbal sparring, fueled by constant comparisons between their achievements. The UFC Hall of Famer is an Olympic bronze medalist in judo and was once part of the same U.S. team as Harrison, who went on to win two Olympic gold medals in the sport.
Now, tensions have escalated into open hostility between Kayla Harrison and Ronda Rousey, with both fighters seizing every opportunity to take shots at one another.
Kayla Harrison Fires Back Hard At Ronda Rousey
During a recent interview with UFC on Paramount+, Kayla Harrison fired back at Ronda Rousey, suggesting that “Rowdy” has been overstating her accomplishments in combat sports. While the UFC champion acknowledged Rousey’s role as a trailblazer for women’s MMA, she took issue with the way the former WWE star has been promoting the Gina Carano bout, insisting there remains a clear and significant gap between their respective careers.
“I think that the part that bothers me the most about Ronda is that, at one point, she was a real athlete,” Kayla Harrison said. “She was training for the Olympics, she was an Olympic bronze medalist, she became UFC champion, she was really trying to chase greatness, and I will never take away the fact that Ronda is probably the most important female fighter.
“And if it weren’t for her, for sure, I wouldn’t be where I’m at, I wouldn’t have a job. But this fight is not the greatest fight of all time. It’s between someone who hasn’t fought in 10 years and is coming off two knockout losses, and another woman who is a pioneer but hasn’t fought in 17 years and is in her 40s. So don’t call it the greatest fight of all time like I’m chasing greatness. You’re chasing money.”