The story of Ronda Rousey isn’t really about her beauty. If anything, her image is a smokescreen that slightly mollifies a fact that some fans of MMA are visibly shaken by: Women are extremely suited to fighting, and watching them compete can be just as compelling as watching men. The “fairer sex” can be athletic, effective, and devastating in combat sports. Also, in most ways that matter, women are probably tougher than men are.
I definitely got that feeling during a phone conversation with Ronda’s mom, Dr. Ann Maria Rousey DeMars, who—apart from being a former world judo champion (who used to wake her daughter up to practice her now-signature armbars), is a partner in a software company and an author with several advanced degrees—is a solid charmer who gives her strong opinions quite freely. As our conversation progressed, she casually mentioned a judo world tournament that she was unable to compete in because she was too busy having a baby, and I couldn’t help but think that all men are pussies. What’s tougher than giving birth to another human being and fighting on an elite level?
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