Ronda Rousey’s well-documented switch to the WWE was always going to draw both plenty of interest and even more scrutiny.

The common statement that was circulating online and in person was that she was giving up ‘real fighting’ to join something scripted instead. Her cause wasn’t helped by the fact that her previous two outings inside of the Octagon resulted in vicious knockouts at the legs of Holly Holm and the hands of Amanda Nunes before she decided to call it quits for now.

WWE SWITCH

However, not everyone has been so bitter about her leaving. In fact, she’s received support from some surprising sources since the move was made official. One which wasn’t considered a surprise was Conor McGregor, as he’s been a huge advocate and fan of the former UFC bantamweight champion, and has continued to show his support ever since the two losses shocked the world.

Speaking about Rousey’s WWE move, the Irishman said: “I’m delighted for her. Absolutely over the moon for her. She looked like she really enjoyed herself at the event. And I was very, very happy to see her. She’s a pioneer for the game.

“She’s came through it all and faced big wins and big, big losses and she came through it. It’s great to see her represent herself and mixed martial arts and have fun in WWE. I know she’s been a big fan of it all her life, so it’s great to see that.”

While Rousey is busy preparing for perhaps the biggest debut in WWE history at WrestleMania 34, where she teams up with Kurt Angle to take on Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, she has finally responded to the Notorious’ encouraging words.

RESPONSE

When speaking to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, she said: “I love Conor. He’s awesome. He’s always been great to me.

“He has my utmost respect as an athlete and as a man. I just appreciate him always being so respectful back to me. I just wish nothing but the best things for him. He took so much weight off my shoulders, as well. I owe a lot to Conor.

“Anything he wants to do in life, I hope everything works out for him. If he doesn’t want to fight ever again, if he wants to hang out at home with his family, anything he wants to do...if he wants to become a master blueberry grower, I hope he has the greatest blueberries to ever happen. I love Conor.”

While a return to the Octagon seems like the obvious next step, there are still going to be WWE fans who are hoping that he makes a special appearance at WrestleMania 34 himself, something that has been strongly rumoured this past week.

If there is someone who can probably convince him to make a one-off appearance, Rousey could be the one to do that.

What do you make of Ronda Rousey’s response to Conor McGregor’s comments? Have YOUR say in the comments section below.

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