Ronda Rousey thinks Conor McGregor is an asset to all his rivals.
The former dual-weight champion is known for starting beef with his opponents and he frequently steps over the line with his pre-fight trash talk.
McGregor often gets himself in trouble for talking too muchCredit: Getty
‘Notorious’ has become a divisive character during his 11-year run in the UFC, but he’s also established himself as the biggest star in the sport’s history.
After her Hall of Fame run in the sport, Rousey understands what he brings to the table and insists she’d have loved to have squared off against someone like him.
The former bantamweight champion feels like McGregor does all the heavy lifting to promote his fights, something she had to do in every bout she had before retiring from MMA in 2016.
“I think he is a great entertainer, and he plays a great heel,” Rousey said during an exclusive interview with talkSPORT’s MMA YouTube channel.
“I think that a lot of the other guys in the division have such an asset in him because he’ll promote the fight, he’ll be the bad guy.
“You show up looking awesome in comparison and get to make a huge amount of money for your family.
“I would be so happy to have an opponent like him around – usually my back was hurting from carrying all these fights!
“They get to show up, be the baby face and make a whole bunch of money. Hell yeah! Please come and do all the work for me and I’ll just show up and fight.
Rousey never shied away from playing the heel during her UFC runCredit: Getty
“Yeah, it’s the entertainment business and he’s an entertainer.
“For a lot of people who are in the business and don’t like the entertainment aspect, he’s the kind of person who can cover for them and still make these fights, that are really exciting on their own, have a story along with it and make it resonate with the people on the couch.”
McGregor hasn’t fought since breaking his leg at UFC 264 in July 2021.
A comeback fight against Michael Chandler has been pencilled in for over a year, but UFC CEO Dana White has refused to reveal when the lightweight duo will clash.
Both fighters have recently suggested an announcement about a summer dust-up is imminent, and fans are hoping it will come ahead of UFC 300 on Saturday night.
Rousey hasn’t watched much MMA since retiring from the sport, but she’s clearly a fan of McGregor and may tune in to see him return to the Octagon later this year.