Ruby Rose: Ronda Rousey converted me to the UFC
When Ronda Rousey took on Bethe Correia at UFC 190 she had a laundry list of celebrities showing their support on Twitter in the days leading up to the fight as well as following her 34-second victory.
One of the people who took up Rousey's cause was "Orange Is The New Black' star Ruby Rose, who sent a couple of messages out before and after Rousey dispatched Correia in Brazil.
Rose, who grew up in Australia, admits she was always more attracted to the sport of boxing than she ever was mixed martial arts. Rose actually did amateur boxing a few years ago, but when she spotted Rousey's rise to fame, she immediately took notice of the UFC and a brand new kind of fighting.
"I was always into boxing," Rose said in a recent interview with UFC.com. "My godfather was a world champ and then I competed in boxing and that was kind of always my be all and end all, but I think Ronda (Rousey) has literally been the single reason why I've converted to the UFC."
Rose not only supported Rousey for her fight at UFC 190, but since she had a DJ gig in Las Vegas last weekend, she even stopped by the MGM Grand Garden Arena as a special guest of the UFC for the card featuring Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson.
Her busy schedule doesn't allow for much down time, and Rose says she was doubly disappointed when she found out that Rousey's next title defense would take place in her hometown of Melbourne on Nov. 14.
The bad news is Rose relocated to Los Angeles full time recently and with a film possibly on the horizon she may not be able to make it back in time to see Rousey's fight against Holly Holm at UFC 193.
"I'm so mad. I live in Melbourne for the greater part of 25 years of my life and then I finally move to L.A., which is so close to Vegas, and you guys have some of the best fights ever, they're in Vegas and then she decides to go and have this huge fight in Melbourne. She's doing it to spite me, clearly," Rose said with a laugh.
"I'm either going to be able to do this amazing film during that time or if that doesn't happen, I get to go to Melbourne to see Ronda. So it's a win-win situation."
Rousey was in Las Vegas briefly last week to take part in the UFC 'Go Big' press conference to help promote her fight in November, but her path didn't cross with Rose's before she left town.
Rose says the UFC did get Rousey to personally autograph a book for her, which she said she would "treasure" forever.
As for her conversion from boxing fan to mixed martial arts enthusiast, Rose is still practicing the sweet science when she has time, but an invitation to train with Rousey in the future might just convince her that MMA is the best combat sport in the world.
"It doesn't quite go with being an actor, like going into an audition with a black eye, but I do like it just for the fitness side of things and I'm still boxing," Rose teased. "So we'll see."
