Rafael dos Anjos invites Ronda Rousey to join his Kings MMA team
Ronda Rousey will need time to rest and recover after losing her bantamweight world title at UFC 193, but lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos suggests she check out his squad at Kings MMA if she wants to leave Glendale Fighting Club to prepare for her next fight. "I think it would be great for her to come here," the champion recently told MMA Fighting.
"We have a great energy here [and] not just because I'm training here. [Head coach] Rafael Cordeiro has over 28 years of experience in MMA. It would be great for Ronda."
Dos Anjos went on to advertise that Kings MMA would have suitable training partners for Rousey and that Cordeiro would be able to put together great fight game plans. "If she comes, she'll have everything she needs to get her belt back."
Kings MMA, in Orange County, CA, is relatively close to Rousey's home in Los Angeles. Though she's not given any public indication that she's looking to switch things up, dos Anjos said that she wasn't prepared adequately for her fight against Holly Holm.
"Everyone saw that she got tired in the first round," he explained.
"I don't think training six weeks for a five-round championship fight is going to work."
That rushed schedule may have more to do with Rousey combining movies, books and media tours with an insistence on fighting whenever and wherever the UFC asks her to. She was the most active champion on the promotion's roster, but the past couple years saw her repeatedly rush camps or plan them around various other projects.
It worked for her before, but wasn't enough against Holm. "She's one of the best. I think she's the best in the division," dos Anjos maintained of Rousey.
"She just had a bad day. But Holly Holm, she did great. She did a perfect strategy. She shut all the doors for Ronda. She avoided the takedown, she beat her standing. But I think if Ronda does a longer fight camp, it would make a difference."
There may also be the issue of Rousey rival and 145lbs women's MMA world champ Cris "Cyborg" Justino being friendly with Kings MMA members like UFC heavyweight champ Fabricio Werdum, and having done work there in the past. dos Anjos insisted that everything could be sorted out, however.
"We can make it work," he promised.
"On my part, [Rousey] is always welcome here."
