APPEARANCE OF ROUSEY GETTING SPECIAL TREATMENT, CODDLING CONTINUES
Ronda Rousey and Amanda Nunes will not take part in the UFC 207 media session next week.
Rousey has been unusually silent in the build up for her return fight and has done very little promotion aside from an appearance on “Conan” and a spread with ESPN Magazine. Nunes, for her part, has criticized both Rousey and the UFC for their handling of the promotion and even accused the UFC of “coddling” Rousey earlier this week.
The media session will instead focus on the co-main event which features Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz defending his title against top contender Cody Garbrandt, as well as the rest of the fighters on the card.
The unprecedented decision to allow Rousey and Nunes to skip media obligations was confirmed by UFC to MMAJunkie after rumors began circulating that Rousey would not be taking part in any media activities ahead of the fight.
Cervantes Analysis: I don’t think there’s ever been a case where both headliners were allowed to be absent from media activities. Nick Diaz and Conor McGregor both shirked their media obligations and voiced their anger ahead of the fights for feeling like it was a waste of time and took away from their focus. They were both punished. The UFC has absolutely been giving Rousey special treatment and it was evident from the way they promoted this fight from the beginning (solely focusing on her in the promos) and how they have given her a pass with having to deal with the media. I love Ronda Rousey, but if she wins, I hope she handles it with grace, class, and humility because this is ridiculous and something that would likely never happen for anyone else; it certainly hasn’t thus far.
SATURDAY NOTEBOOK ITEMS…
-TMZ ran a story earlier this week showing Nunes in a video claim that Rousey blocked her on all social media so she can’t follow her. Watch the video HERE.
-Dominick Cruz told MMAJunkie “The only difference between me and Cody is I’ve dealt with my demons and he’s still facing them,” referring to Garbrandt’s personal struggles outside the Octagon.
-Junior Dos Santos claims he is fighting Stefan Struve because other fighters in the division “made excuses” not to fight, according to Bloody Elbow.
-Cain Velasquez told Ariel Helwani that he’s “ready to beat Werdum’s ass.”
NOW CHECK OUT YESTERDAY’S UPDATE: FRIDAY NEWS UPDATE 12/23: Cyborg says she used a diuretic to recover from weight cut, not performance enhancing drugs (w/Cervantes Analysis)
(Jonathan Cervantes has been an avid fan of MMA since 2009 when he saw GSP vs. B.J. Penn 2. He has practiced tae kwon do, jiu-jitsu, and wrestling in the past and is currently a student majoring in entrepreneurship at the University of San Francisco. He writes the MMATorch News Digest on Fridays and Saturdays. Michael Hiscoe writes MMATorch News Digests Sunday through Thursday each week.)
Leave a Reply