UFC Women’s Champ Ronda Rousey has nothing but appreciation for the female body, but when it comes to competing, she thinks that boobs can be a burden.
“The bigger my chest is, the more it gets in the way,” Rousey says in the latest “Body Issue” from ESPN, out this week.
“It just creates space. It makes me much more efficient if I don’t have so much in the way between me and my opponent.”
Rousey, UFC women’s bantamweight champion, has always been outspoken on the issue of boobs getting in the way of performance, and it might be partially thanks to the fact that she has experienced the hindrance firsthand .
During UFC 157 in Anaheim during her first title defense against Liz Carmouche, Rousey admitted to being more concerned with experiencing a wardrobe malfunction on PPV than her opponent’s aggression.
“When someone’s on your back trying to rip your head off, things tend to slip around a bit,” Rousey said.
In a particularly famous moment , Rousey re-adjusted her sports bra and was kicked right in the can by Caramouche.
“I got kicked straight in the chest right as I was trying to adjust my bra,” Rousey said.
Still, Rousey appreciates a good rack even if boobs can often hinder performance. She points to another female MMA icon as her example:
“ Gina Carano was an amazing fighter, and she had a fantastic rack,” Rousey said. Still, “You don’t see big titties in the Olympics, and I think that’s for a reason.”