Demetrious Johnson might be the most dominant fighter in the octagon, but he’s not really known for his trash talk.
Which is why it’s a little surprising to hear the UFC pound-for-pound king fire a verbal flamethrower at former women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey in an exclusive Sports Illustrated interview.
Johnson, who hasn’t lost since 2011 and has defended the UFC flyweight belt 10 times, criticized the way Rousey has handled her two defeats, and said he would handle losing much more constructively.
“You look at Ronda Rousey,” Johnson said. “You got your ass beat, grow the (expletive) up. It happens. It’s mixed martial arts. I don’t want to be like that. If I lose, I’ll be like, I lost.
“Everybody (expletive) loses. It’s part of the sport. Grow up. Look, Ronda, you lost two (expletive) fights in a row, and you made more (expletive) money than the women’s roster. You’ll be fine, don’t worry about it.”
Ever since losing to Amanda Nunes in a devastating fashion at UFC 207, Rousey has stayed away from the limelight, and it’s unclear whether she will ever fight again. UFC president Dana White admitted he doesn’t believe Rousey will step into the octagon again.
Thumbnail photo via Ron Chenoy/USA TODAY Sports Images
