Ronda Rousey on hating the media: ‘Hearing me speak is a privilege that’s been abused’

When I first read these comments from former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey — knowing full well she’s embraced her new role as full time professional wrestler — I wondered aloud if she had, in fact, finally turned heel.

But then I realized no, this is how she really feels.

“Rowdy” has long had a contentious relationship with the media, perhaps forgetting that being famous means you’re adored when you’re on top and dragged through the mud when you're not, simplified as “the price of fame” and amplified by the existence of social media.

“We live in an age of trial by Twitter,” Rousey told the press while promoting her new movie Mile 22 (via MMA Junkie). “What is really gained by stating opinion on anything? It whittles people down. It gets cut and pasted 10 times and it’s in (a) headline.”

It should be noted, those are the same headlines that made her famous.

“(Famous people) keep more and more of it to themselves,” she continued. “Why should I talk? I believe hearing me speak is a privilege, and it’s a privilege that’s been abused, so why not revoke it from everyone? I don’t believe public criticism, beating you down, is the right thing to do.”

Rousey first came under fire for being a sore loser when Holly Holm wasted her at UFC 193, leading to the now-famous pillow party at the Los Angeles airport. That was followed by another media blackout in the wake of her knockout loss to Amanda Nunes.

She’s not plying her trade for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), but based on her latest round of media interviews (like this one), it doesn’t sound like she’s warming up to the idea of life in the limelight.