What's it like to be Ronda Rousey? Inside the life of MMA's top fighter

What's it like to be Ronda Rousey for a day? UFC's biggest star recently sat down for a one-on-one exclusive interview with Sports Illustrated executive editor Jon Wertheim to talk underendowed ex-boyfriends, the history of the arm bar, her relationship with losing and more.

Author:
Jon Wertheim
Publish date:
May 13, 2015

To spend a day with Ronda Rousey is to hear about underendowed ex-boyfriends and the myth of the brontosaurus—“They mixed up the brachiosaurus and stegosaurus skeletal remains”—and the pros and cons of various hair-removal methods. Go to an L.A. dive bar with Rousey and, soon, she’s behind the bar itself, preparing her specialty drink, some crazy concoction of raspberry vodka, lemon vodka, simple syrup and Chambord. She is NHB.

Here are some out-takes from her recent one-on-one session with Jon Wertheim, Sports Illustrated’s executive editor.

What is it like to be you these days?

Rousey: What's it like to be me? Well, I don't have experience being anyone else besides myself. So when people think like, Oh, your life must be like so weird. I'm like, Well, I haven't had much of a taste for normal, so...

I don't know. I guess every day's different, every day's chaotic a little bit. But I don't like anything to be overall predictable. I really couldn't function well in that 9-to-5 kind of life. And there needs to be some sort of semblance of routine. But, yeah, I probably have two free days a month, and then I fill those days with, like, Oh, my God, I haven't seen this person in forever, I haven't seen that person forever. I feel like I'm kind of always working and I don't really have enough time to spend with people I really care about in my life.

That's the one thing I'm really working so hard for now, is so that I don't have to work and take time away from the people I really care about for the next several decades. I want to be able to have the option to spend as much time with my friends and family as I can, like even in my 30s, so...

I guess I'm addicted to delayed gratification. I don't know when I will reach that point or I'll allow myself to sit down and gratify.

It seems like there are a lot of people invested emotionally in your success, right? You've become this headliner for the UFC. There's a gender issue. Everybody loves the underdog, and you're the overdog. Where do you see the pressure points for yourself?

I mean, I really don't spend the days counting the ways of how much pressure is on me, but I purposely seek it out. I don't ever give myself a way out. One of the reasons why I talk so confidently before every fight isn't out of a lack of humility, it's out of a need to make it so there's no other way but for me to prove myself right.

Ronda Rousey on 14-second fight: That's the most brilliant 'ninja s---'

And I've always fought above myself under pressure. I'm like a pressure fighter. That's what I always called myself, is a pressure fighter. You could apply pressure when you're under pressure.

And I'm constantly pressuring the other person. There's no, like, breaks in the fight. And the more weight I put on myself, like, the better I do. And I don't know why exactly that is, but I know it has to do with my mom (laughter). I know it has something to do with my mom.

I was always that kid in class. If they were like tests, I would, like, kill it on tests. I'm one of those people where I do well in the gym. But you put me under pressure and I unfold. I really show what I can do. That's one of the reasons why we have these short fights. I just make up flying arm bars and things like that that I've never done before because in that moment, I'm the absolute best that is possible, and a lot of people can only last a few seconds against that, unless I'm feeling particularly mean.

The thing is, when I finish the fights quickly, that's me at my most merciful. If I drag it out to beat you in every single area, that means I'm trying to traumatize you. If I'm trying to make sure that you don't walk out the same way that you walked in: it's not that you're a better fighter, it's that I'm trying to savor and take my time and swish the wine and smell it, sip it, not just chug the whole thing down.

[pagebreak]

Give me the oral history, give me your history of you and the arm bar.

Well, in judo, you're not really supposed to do arm bars until you're in the senior division, right? So when you turn 13, you're allowed to do chokes. When you're like older than 21 or whatever, something like that, that's when you're supposed to do arm bars—not 21, 17. When you turn 18, you're allowed to start doing arm bars.

In the high school nationals, you can do arm bars. So at about 12 or 13 years old, my mom started choking me at 12—in a good way (laughter). She started working on me with chokes like at 12 and started working with me on arm bars at 13 so that I would be ready when I turned 14 for, you know, the high school nationals.

Classic Photos of Ronda Rousey

Ronda Rousey :: Jan. 23, 2016

Dana Edelson/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Here are some candid and not so candid photos of UFC fighter Ronda Rousey, who hosted Saturday Night Live on Jan. 23. In this sketch she appears with Taran Killam as Dan.

Ronda Rousey :: Jan. 23, 2016

Kenan Thompson and Ronda Rousey during the City Council sketch on the Jan. 23, 2016 episode of Saturday Night Live.

Ronda Rousey :: Jan. 23, 2016

Ronda Rousey with SNL participants (from left) Jon Rudnitsky, Bobby Moynihan, Selena Gomez, Rousey, Aidy Bryant, Vanessa Bayer and Jay Pharoah during the monologue.

Ronda Rousey :: January 2016

Singer Selena Gomez, Ronda Rousey, and Cecily Strong are caught on stage in a practice for the Jan. 23 Saturday Night Live show.

Ronda Rousey :: Nov. 14, 2015

Ronda Rousey is attended to after suffering a second-round knockout at the hands of Holly Holm at UFC 193 in Australia.

Ronda Rousey :: Oct. 27, 2015

Ronda Rousey responds to questions during media day in Glendale, Calif., ahead of her showdown with Holly Holm.

Ronda Rousey :: Oct. 27, 2015

Rousey hosts Media Day ahead of her Nov. 14 fight in Australia.

Ronda Rousey :: Oct. 27, 2015

Brandon Magnus/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Ronda Rousey spars with a partner during a media training session.

Ronda Rousey :: Oct. 16, 2015

Joshua Blanchard /Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Rousey poses in front of a mural created in her honor in Venice, Calif.

Ronda Rousey :: Oct. 6, 2015

Mike Stobe/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Ronda Rousey poses for a photo at the London NYC hotel ahead of UFC 193.

Ronda Rousey :: Sept. 17, 2015

Brendon Thorne/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Ronda Rousey poses with a fans during a UFC 193 Sydney fan event.

Ronda Rousey :: Sept. 16, 2015

Michael Dodge/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Ronda Rousey and her November opponent, Holly Holm, take centre stage during a UFC 193 media event.

Ronda Rousey :: Sept. 16, 2015

Ronda Rousey takes selfies with fans during a UFC 193 media event at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.

Ronda Rousey :: Sept. 16, 2015

Ronda Rousey arrives during a UFC 193 media event at Etihad Stadium.

Ronda Rousey :: Aug. 4, 2015

Buda Mendes/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Ronda Rousey and her mother, AnnMaria De Mars (3rd from right), present a championship belt to a judo school and social project owned by Olympic bronze medalist Flavio Canto in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Ronda Rousey :: Aug. 2, 2015

Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Ronda Rousey after her 34-second victory over Bethe Correia.

Ronda Rousey :: Aug. 1, 2015

Ronda Rousey and Bethe Correia at their weigh in.

Ronda Rousey :: July 15, 2015

Ronda Rousey accepts the Best Female Athlete award during The 2015 ESPYS at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

Ronda Rousey :: July 15, 2015

Robert Laberge/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Former boxer Mike Tyson meets Ronda Rousey during a media training session at the Glendale Fight Club.

Ronda Rousey :: April 27, 2015

Ronda Rousey poses during a photo shoot for SI in Los Angeles.

Ronda Rousey :: April 27, 2015

Ronda Rousey trains during a photo shoot for SI in Los Angeles.

Ronda Rousey :: April 27, 2015

Ronda Rousey poses during a photo shoot for SI in Los Angeles.

Ronda Rousey :: March 23, 2015

Ronda Rousey talks with reporters after meeting with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state leaders urging them to join the 49 other states in legalizing mixed martial arts.

Ronda Rousey :: April 4, 2015

Ronda Rousey attends an NHL game between the Los Angeles Kings and the Colorado Avalanche.

Ronda Rousey :: April 1, 2015

Rousey arrives at the 'Furious 7' Los Angeles Premiere at TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX in Hollywood.

Ronda Rousey and the Rock :: March 29, 2015

Ronda Rousey and the Rock at WrestleMania 31.

Ronda Rousey :: March 29, 2015

Ronda Rousey and Stephanie McMahon at WrestleMania 31 in Santa Clara

Ronda Rousey :: March 29, 2015

Ronda Rousey and Stephanie McMahon at WrestleMania 31 in Santa Clara.

Ronda Rousey :: March 26, 2015

Ronda Rousey and Robin Roberts on the "Good Morning America" set.

Ronda Rousey :: March 24, 2015

Theo Wargo/NBC/Getty Images for "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon"

Ronda Rousey during her visit to "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" at Rockefeller Center in New York City.

Ronda Rousey :: March 24, 2015

Ronda Rousey shows Jimmy Fallon what an armbar is during her visit to the "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."

Ronda Rousey :: March 20, 2015

Ronda Rousey and Bethe Correia of Brazil face off during the 189 World Media Tour Launch press conference in Rio de Janeiro.

Ronda Rousey and Bethe Correia:: March 20, 2015

Ronda Rousey and Bethe Correia of Brazil pose for the media during the 189 World Media Tour Launch press conference in Rio de Janeiro.

Ronda Rousey :: March 20, 2015

Alexandre Loureiro/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Ronda Rousey with fans in Brazil during the the UFC 189 World Media Tour Launch press conference

Ronda Rousey :: March 20, 2015

Ronda Rousey poses for the media during the UFC 189 World Media Tour Launch press conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Ronda Rousey :: March 20, 2015

Ronda Rousey looks on during the UFC 189 World Media Tour Launch press conference in Rio de Janeiro.

Ronda Rousey :: March 14, 2015

Ronda Rousey speaks during a South by Southwest Sports panel at the Austin Convention Center in Texas.

Ronda Rousey :: March 10, 2015

Ronda Rousey is seen with Mario Lopez of Extra at Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles.

Ronda Rousey :: February 2015

Bret Hartman/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

Ronda Rousey speaks to members of the media at the Glendale Fighting Club ahead of her fight against Cat Zingano.

Ronda Rousey and Cat Zingano :: February 2015

Ronda Rousey and Cat Zingano face off during the UFC 184 Ultimate Media Day in Los Angeles.

Ronda Rousey :: February 2015

Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Ronda Rousey warms up in the locker room before her bout against Cat Zingano in Los Angeles.

Ronda Rousey :: February 2015

Jeff Gross/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Ronda Rousey prepares to enter the Octagon in her bantamweight championship bout against Cat Zingano in Los Angeles.

Ronda Rousey :: February 2015

Ronda Rousey gets ready to fight Cat Zingano at UFC 184.

Ronda Rousey :: February 2015

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Ronda Rousey enters the Octagon in her bantamweight championship bout against Cat Zingano in Los Angeles.

Ronda Rousey and Cat Zingano :: February 2015

Ronda Rousey grapples with Cat Zingano during UFC 184. Rousey won after Zingano tapped out 14 seconds into the bout.

Ronda Rousey and Cat Zingano :: February 2015

Ronda Rousey grapples with Cat Zingano during UFC 184. Rousey won after Zingano tapped out 14 seconds into the bout.

Ronda Rousey and Cat Zingano :: February 2015

Ronda Rousey grapples with Cat Zingano during UFC 184. Rousey won after Zingano tapped out 14 seconds into the bout.

Ronda Rousey and Cat Zingano :: February 2015

Ronda Rousey gets into position to put an armbar on Cat Zingano during UFC 184.

Ronda Rousey and Cat Zingano :: February 2015

Ronda Rousey puts the finishing touches on Cat Zingano to remain undefeated.

Ronda Rousey :: February 2015

Ronda Rousey celebrates her victory over Cat Zingano.

Ronda Rousey :: February 2015

Ronda Rousey consoles Cat Zingano after their bout.

Ronda Rousey :: December 2014

Ronda Rousey attends Reebok and UFC Long-Term Partnership Announcement at Industria Studios in New York City.

Ronda Rousey :: November 2014

Ronda Rousey is seen at 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' in Los Angeles.

Ronda Rousey :: November 2014

Ronda Rousey is seen at 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' in Los Angeles.

Ronda Rousey :: November 2014

Elliott Howard/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Ronda Rousey arrives at the UFC Time Is Now press conference in Las Vegas.

Ronda Rousey :: October 2014

Ronda Rousey sighting in West Hollywood, Calif.

Ronda Rousey :: September 2014

Ronda Rousey attends FOX Sports 1's "The Ultimate Fighter" Season Premiere Party in Hollywood.

Ronda Rousey :: August 2014

Ronda Rousey arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of "The Expendables 3" in Hollywood.

Ronda Rousey :: July 2014

Ronda Rousey smiles at a weigh-in for the UFC 175 event at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Ronda Rousey and Alexis Davis: July 2014

Ronda Rousey faces off with Alexis Davis during the UFC 175 weigh-in inside the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Ronda Rousey :: July 2014

Ronda Rousey takes down Alexis Davis during their women's mixed martial arts bantamweight title bout at UFC 175 in Las Vegas.

Ronda Rousey :: May 2014

Kelsey Grammer, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ronda Rousey and Sylvester Stallone pose during a photocall for "The Expendables 3" at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France.

Ronda Rousey :: May 2014

Arnold Schwarzenegger kisses Ronda Rousey during a photocall for the film "The Expendables 3" at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival.

Ronda Rousey :: May 2014

David M. Benett/Getty Images for Millennium Films

Ronda Rousey attends a photocall for "The Expendables 3" at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes, France.

Ronda Rousey and Kellan Lutz :: May 2014

Actor Kellan Lutz and Ronda Rousey arrive for the screening of The Homesman at the 67th international film festival.

Ronda Rousey :: May 2014

Ronda Rousey attends "The Homesman" Premiere at the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival inFrance.

Ronda Rousey :: May 2014

Ronda Rousey hosts #TheLinkParty at the IceLink Boutique West Hollywood benefiting The Special Needs Network.

Ronda Rousey :: April 2014

Ronda Rousey is seen filming a scene for the "Entourage" movie in Beverly Hills in Los Angeles

Ronda Rousey :: February 2014

Ronda Rousey knees Sara McMann in their bantamweight championship bout during UFC 170 in Las Vegas.

Ronda Rousey :: February 2014

Ronda Rousey at an open training session for fans and media in Las Vegas.

Ronda Rousey and Jimmy Kimmel:: December 2013

Ronda Rousey made an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in early December 2013.

Ronda Rousey :: December 2013

Ronda Rousey poses for a portrait during a UFC photo session in Las Vegas.

Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate :: December 2013

Donald Miralle/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Ronda Rousey attempts to submit Miesha Tate in their UFC women's bantamweight championship bout during UFC 168 in Las Vegas.

Ronda Rousey and Josh Thomson :: July 2013

Al Powers/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Rousey and UFC lightweight Josh Thomson pose for a photo during the UFC Fan Party in Las Vegas.

Ronda Rousey :: July 2013

Clint Jenkins/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Ronda Rousey signs an autograph during the UFC Fan Expo Las Vegas 2013 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas,.

Ronda Rousey :: March 2013

Ronda Rousey attends the Fox Sports Media Group Upfront after party at Roseland Ballroom in New York City.

Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche :: February 2013

Ronda Rousey eventually got Liz Carmouche off her back and improved her record to 7-0 with the victory.

Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche :: February 2013

Ronda Rousey found herself in trouble early against Liz Carmouche, but withstood the challenge to win in the first round.

Ronda Rousey :: December 2012

Ronda Rousey shows off her UFC bantamweight championship belt during a news conference in Seattle, Wash. UFC president Dana White handed out the belt, saying the former Strikeforce title-holder will make her UFC debut on Feb. 23 against Liz Carmouche.

Ronda Rousey :: October 2012

Ronda Rousey during training session with coach Edmond Tarverdyan at Glendale Fighting Club.

Ronda Rousey and Dana White: September 2012

Rousey poses with Dana White at the Sons of Anarchy season 5 premiere screening in Los Angeles.

Ronda Rousey and Sarah Kaufman :: August 2012

Ronda Rousey secures an arm bar submission against Sarah Kaufman during their Strikeforce bout.

Ronda Rousey :: August 2012

Ronda Rousey reacts after defeating Sarah Kaufman by submission during the Strikeforce event in San Diego on Aug. 18.

Ronda Rousey :: July 2012

Ronda Rousey attends ESPN Magazine's 4th Annual Body Issue celebration at Belasco Theatre on July 10, 2012 in Los Angeles.

Ronda Rousey :: March 2012

:: David Dermer/Diamond Images/Getty Images

Ronda Rousey during the weigh-in for her bout against Meisha Tate.

Ronda Rousey :: March 2012

Ronda Rousey walks to the cage before her bantamweight bout against Tate in March. Rousey won via an armbar submission.

Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate :: March 2012

Ronda Rousey reacts after submitting Meisha Tate during their bantamweight bout in Columbus, Ohio.

Ronda Rousey :: March 2012

Rousey takes questions from the media after her victory over Meisha Tate.

Ronda Rousey :: October 2012

Ronda Rousey during a photo shoot for SI at the Glendale Fighting Club in California.

Ronda Rousey :: October 2012

Ronda Rousey during a photo shoot for SI at the Glendale Fighting Club in California.

Ronda Rousey :: October 2012

Ronda Rousey during a photo shoot for SI at the Glendale Fighting Club in California.

Ronda Rousey :: October 2012

Ronda Rousey during a photo shoot for SI at the Glendale Fighting Club in California.

Ronda Rousey :: October 2012

Ronda Rousey catches her breath after a workout.

Ronda Rousey :: October 2012

Ronda Rousey during a photo shoot for SI at the Glendale Fighting Club in California.

Ronda Rousey :: November 2011

Ronda Rousey attends the UFC On FOX: Live Heavyweight Championship in Anaheim, Calif.

Ronda Rousey and Sarah D'Alelio :: August 2011

Kari Hubert/Forza LLC/Forza LLC via Getty Images

Rousey and Sarah D'Alelio pose at the weigh-in before their Strikeforce match in Las Vegas.

Ronda Rousey :: August 2011

Ronda Rousey during the Strikeforce Challengers 4 at The Pearl at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

Ronda Rousey and Sarah D'Alelio :: August 2011

Sarah D'Alelio and Ronda Rousey during the Strikeforce Challengers 4 at The Pearl at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. Rousey would win the bout via tapout in the first round.

Ronda Rousey :: April 2008

Michael O'Neill/Sports Illustrated/Contour by Getty Images

Ronda Rousey (far left) in a Summer Olympics preview portrait with Rau'shee Warren (boxing), Demetrius Andrade (boxing), Marci Van Dusen (freestyle wrestling), and Sarah Hammer (cycling).

Ronda Rousey and Valerie Gotay: April 2008

Ronda Rousey throws Valerie Gotay over her shoulder as she poses for a portrait during the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Media Summitt in Chicago.

Ronda Rousey and Annett Boehm: August 2008

Rousey and Germany's Annett Boehm compete in the 70 kg judo bronze-medal match at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Rousey would win the match and the bronze.

Ronda Rousey :: August 2008

Rousey stands on the podium after winning bronze at the 2008 Olympics.

Ronda Rousey: 2007

A happy Ronda Rousey after she won the 70Kg Judo final in the 2007 XV Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Ronda Rousey :: April 2006

Ronda Rousey with her gold medal at the Fighting Films Birmingham Women's World Cup at the National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, England.

Ronda Rousey :: August 2004

Claudia Heill from Austria fights Ronda Rousey during the Judo half-middle weight (-63kg) event at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

Ronda Rousey :: June 2004

Ronda Rousey and Anastasia Krivosta compete in their 63 kg. match during the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Judo at the San Jose State University Event Center in California. Rousey won the match to move on in the competition.

And then by the time I was 16, I tore out my knee, and I worked only on groundwork that whole summer. So I tore my knee out. I got surgery April 1st, 2003. And I was—I mean, that was the year that I was supposed to—I was supposed to go win the senior nationals. That was supposed to be my breakout year where I moved from juniors to seniors.

And then I had to go and watch the senior nationals on crutches and watch all these other girls win and beat each other when I thought I should have been in there. But I was just some kid. I really thought that even though I was only 16, I was meant to shock the world, the Judo world, win the senior nationals when I was so young.

But, um, I couldn't compete. And I spent the whole year doing only Newaza. In judo, that's groundwork, typically what people think of as jujitsu. Judo and jujitsu are basically the same thing but with different emphasis. Judo is 80% standing and 20% on the ground. Jujitsu is 80% on the ground and 20% standing.

That knee injury really forced me to be a 50/50 fighter where I was 50% standing and 50% on the ground, my focus.

So mom called it Ronda's happy corner of groundwork. I'd sit down in the corner.…So it took four months for my surgery when I competed the first time afterward. When I came back, I competed at the senior level for the first time ever. August I fought my first tournament. And by October I was number one in the country and most of my wins were by arm bars.

Then I think it was that winter I went to the Korean World Cup. I ended up getting like fifth or something like that. But most of my wins were from arm bars.

My mom was the original arm bar chick because she tore her knee out at 17. That's one of the reasons why I feel every injury has done nothing but improve me because it forced me to focus on everything else. I'm extremely grateful that I tore my knee out at 16 because I've been benefitting from it ever since.

How do you describe your relationship with losing?

Fear of failure is the one fear that I have. I like snakes and bugs and heights. But fear of failure—losing literally feels like dying to me. I'm literally mourning the death of myself when I lose.

And I remember every single loss from when I was 11 years old on. I forget wins all the time. But, you know, I was lucky enough in that I learned the lessons that I needed to learn from losing in judo. I've already learned them. I don't need to lose in order to grow anymore.

My mom said this very well: It's much better to learn from a win than a loss, so you better learn as much as you can from every one of these wins.

So I go through every single one of these fights frame by frame with a fine-tooth comb. I study myself more than my opponents. I try to dissect myself, like if I was fighting, what would I do? How would I solve this problem of me from the outside? I try to learn as much as I can, even when I succeed.

Ronda Rousey recounts one-armed judo victory in new book

I'm interested in these short fights, where you train and you learn technique, kicking, jujitsu. The fights haven't lasted long and haven't allowed you to sort of explore this battery of skills. Is there any part of you that wishes that the test was done differently?

Here's the thing. The shorter my fights are, the longer I can fight. So would I want to have more fights or few fights but have them be longer? And if I want to keep up this lifestyle as long as possible, and not wear my body down, I mean, I've had arthritis since I was 19 years old, I've had four knee surgeries, it's not like I can do this forever.

And if people want to see a couple five-round wars out of me, well, there's not going to be that many of them because honestly I don't even know how many miles I have left.

Every single fight I reassess over and over again. And if I keep coming out unscathed I feel like I can fight forever. But, you know, if they start to wear on you, that's one of the things that's the downfall for a lot of fighters, is they can't leave that high. They stay in a little bit too long.

It's like—it's like you're a rock that got thrown into a river. They'll be able to enjoy that nice clean, cool, amazing water for a long time, but after a while it's going to start to erode away all your edges.

There's a lot of fighters out there, their faces just look like eroded rocks. And I don't want to—I want to stop before it really erodes me.

What gives you the most pride?

What gives me the most pride? What gives me the most pride is Pierce Jones. Pierce Jones was this just adorable sweet little black kid from the South Side of Chicago who was like the superstar of the Little League World Series. And under their little thing, like when they go up to bat or whatever, Pierce Jones, this little thing, goes up to bat. He says his age, his height, all this stuff. It says favorite athlete: Ronda Rousey.

This kid, he could have picked LeBron James, he could have picked like anybody in the world. You know, he could have picked—oh, man, I'm like blanking out on every athlete ever. He could have picked Michael Jordan. He could have picked, like, Babe Ruth. He could have picked Anderson Silva. He could have picked Floyd Mayweather. He could have picked Tyson or Ali. But this kid, he picked me. He didn't say in parentheses because I think she's hot. It says favorite athlete.

And that's a kid who's like, you could tell, if you're in the Little League World Series, you win the Little League World Series, you get the MVP, sport is your life, it's your religion. Who your favorite athlete is means something to you. The fact that he said it was me, it touched my heart in a way that I never thought it could really be touched. I don't know.

There's another thing. Like I just got back from Armenia. I was at the memorial for the genocide. I met a few of like the generals for the Army. And I'm standing in front of, like, you know, all these different military people. All the women police are there. The generals came up and they shook my hand. And all the women police saw that. And I was so proud to shake the general's hand in front of the women police because, I don't know, I just felt like that meant something, that they felt like it was important for them to come up and shake a woman's hand.

Little things like that. Little things, like I can't stand it if I'm with a group of guys, and another guy comes over and shakes everyone's hand but mine. It drives me fucking insane. I'm like, What the f--- am I, chopped liver? Why don't you shake my hand?

And that was the kind of thing where, like, you know, the generals came and shook my hand. I was like, I don't know. I don't know. Things like that. Little things. I mean, winning fights and things like that, it's awesome. But little things like after I won [my] first title the first time, I came and I hugged my mom. She told me she was proud of me. She's not the type of person to throw out flattery like confetti. And that really meant something to me, that my mom actually said she was proud of me.

GALLERY: BEHIND THE SCENES WITH RONDA ROUSEY

Behind the Scenes with Ronda Rousey