Former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen has praised Ronda Rousey for being able to transition from mixed martial arts to pro wrestling.
It’s not exactly a secret that professional wrestling isn’t everyone’s cup of tea - especially for MMA fans. While there’s respect given for the athleticism shown as well as the character work and intense schedule, the readily available excitement that comes with watching the UFC tends to win the day more often than not.
Ronda Rousey, who was once considered to be the biggest star in the UFC and even the sport, made the move over to WWE after consecutive knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes.
Her perceived bad attitude was highlighted as something fans didn’t like and on top of that, the disdain shown towards wrestling and the WWE product often leads to some real mockery from within the community.
Chael Sonnen, though, who we could easily see having a run in WWE or AEW, defended Rousey and what she’s been able to achieve.
“Ronda had a match, Ronda came out and looked great. Not to mention, Ronda doesn’t get enough credit for her ability to adjust. Many people gave Ronda a hard time from our side of the tracks, that when things didn’t go her way she took her ball and went home.
“That was true. You could give her that criticism, you would be within your limits. You would be stating what you saw and getting your negative energy out to somebody that had it really well.
“But if you stop right there, you haven’t told the whole story. Ronda converted, which is the most difficult thing you could ever do. If you’re in the public eye and you can take one audience over here and then excel, that’s the Ronda story.”
“If you’re gonna tell the story fairly, Ronda did an awesome job.”
What happened at WrestleMania 38?
The reason this is such a prevalent topic at the moment is due to WrestleMania 38, which took place last weekend.
On that card we saw Rousey challenge Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown women’s championship, ultimately coming up short after an intriguing back and forth clash.