Mayweather defends Rousey amid intense public bashing
Ronda Rousey and Floyd Mayweather have shared quite a few verbal sparring sessions over the years, but following a knockout loss over the weekend at UFC 193, the recently retired pound-for-pound boxing king actually defended his old foe.
Mayweather made a statement on Monday following allegations that he told his friend and hip-hop star 50 Cent to post a photo that mocked Rousey's loss to Holly Holm over the weekend. The photo depicted a famous scene from "Rocky IV" in which someone dies after a boxing matc,h but the person has been replaced by Rousey after she was knocked out by Holm.
Mayweather vehemently denied that he told 50 Cent or anybody else to go after Rousey following her loss and actually defended her because he's seen people be fans one minute and turn into piranha the next.
"I haven't really spoke to anyone about the Ronda Rousey situation, just to set the record straight," Mayweather told Fighthype.com this week. "I don't have anything against MMA fighters. It's just like boxing; you win some, you lose some. A true champion can take a loss and bounce back.
"I don't think it's cool how everyone is trolling her on social media. Certain things you have to learn. People will love you on Friday and then Sunday morning, it's nothing but negative comments and people making jokes and people making fun about you, which I don't think is cool."
Rousey has only one statement via Instagram since her loss to Holm on Saturday but the backlash she's received online has been overwhelming. Everyone from Presidential candidate Donald Trump to Lady Gaga to Laila Ali has taken shots at Rousey after her loss.
Mayweather actually took the high road and had nothing but praise for Rousey after the first loss of her professional MMA career.
While he may have had his issues with Rousey over the years, Mayweather hopes nothing but the best for her when she returns and hopes she can do so with the same championship qualities that got her to the head of the table in the first place.
"I'm pretty sure she's a very, very strong person, but we still have to take into consideration that she has feelings," Mayweather said. "Everything happens for a reason. This was already written. Listen, if God says, 'In Floyd's career, I don't want him to lose,' you know what? I wasn't going to lose. That doesn't mean that I haven't took a loss before.
"I'm not talking about boxing; I'm just talking about life. When you lose a loved one, that's taking a loss. I think that everything is just a learning experience. In due time, she'll be able to bounce back and make some noise again in mixed martial arts."
