Rousey ‘s career has been on an upswing since her star making performance at WrestleMania 34 and she is now back in front of the mic again. Last week, she addressed the issue of her silence with MMA media and fans, saying that hearing her speak was “a privilege that’s been abused, so why not revoke it from everyone?”
Rousey’s former rival, Miesha Tate, didn’t take too kindly to those words.
On the most recent episode of MMA Tonight, Tate addressed Rousey’s statements, calling the comments “asinine” and the former UFC bantamweight champion “full of herself.”
“People are gonna say I’m being a hater but I’m gonna be honest, I think it’s a bit ridiculous and I think it’s very above herself,” said Tate. “This kind of attitude, this is where we butt heads. This is the point where we don’t agree. Sometimes Ronda will say something that’s humble and I’ll be like, ‘Hey, that’s a great comment.’ This is asinine.
“I think this is not the kind of attitude that you should have when you’re someone who is in the position of Ronda. Ronda’s very fortunate. Granted, she’s worked very hard but there’s a lot of people that work really, really hard and don’t get to that point of stardom or financial benefit or whatever it is. It’s a combined effort. To say ‘it’s a privilege to hear me speak’ is just sounds rude and full of herself. She really sounds full of herself.”
Tate called out Rousey for her egotistical behavior, suggesting that Rousey is not setting a good example for the millions of young women who look up to her.
“I don’t see it as a privilege to hear her speak,” said Tate. “She owes it - sort of, to a degree - to her fans. Without the fans and the people who care what you say, what you say doesn’t matter. So when you say something like that I feel like it’s a burn and a slap in the face to the people who love and support you. She has a lot of young ladies that really look up to her and I just don’t think this is the type of attitude that a role model should have because it seems a bit selfish, it really does.
“I think she should be more grateful for being in the position that she’s in and everybody who has genuinely loved her throughout her career than to turn around and say, ‘It’s a privilege to hear me speak.’ I think it’s a bit ridiculous.”