Amanda Nunes criticizes Ronda Rousey for not doing media ahead of UFC 207
Interviews, media lunches, conference calls and press conferences are always a part of an athletes pre-fight routine ahead of a big card, but that's not the case with Ronda Rousey as she prepares to return at UFC 207.
Rousey has only spoken publicly a couple of times since her title fight with Amanda Nunes was announced while saying that she's really cutting out any unnecessary promotion to focus on her training and preparation for the battle ahead.
UFC president Dana White has even stated that he believes Rousey felt "attacked' by the media after offering her time so frequently during her career before suffering the brutal knockout loss to Holly Holm last November.
Whatever the reason might be that Rousey has stayed largely secluded during her training camp, Nunes doesn't really buy the excuse.
Nunes says she's faced tough questions about her career at every turn and that's just another fight she's had to win throughout her career so she believes Rousey should do the same thing.
"Yeah I think she's been very weird about everything," Nunes told FOX Sports on Wednesday evening. "This is MMA, people are going to talk good about you, people are going to talk bad about you. You have to be ready for it.
"You guys (the media), you're part of our lives, part of our careers. We have to talk and speak to the media because this is part of our job. She's being so dramatic and weird about that. She knows this is normal."
While Rousey has made a couple of appearances to do interviews with Ellen DeGeneres and Conan O'Brien, Nunes will be making the rounds for television and print in the final days leading up to her first title defense at UFC 207.
Nunes doesn't go as far as question whether or not Rousey doing media ahead of their fight means that she's not mentally ready for her return to action after a year away, but she can't quite figure out why the former champion has shunned the same attention that made her the superstar she is today.
"I really don't want to think she's weak but she shows that she's been avoiding all those things that made her who she is now," Nunes said. "I think it's a little bit weird.
"I don't think she's weak in mind. I really think she's prepared for the comeback. I expect the best Ronda but I don't know what's wrong with her."
One comment Rousey did make in the lead up to the fight was addressing Nunes' own remark that she planned on finishing her in the first round at UFC 207. Rousey returned fire by questioning Nunes' conditioning ahead of their 25-minute battle on Dec. 30.
“Well she kind of has to say that because everyone knows she gasses out in the second so she has to tell herself that,” Rousey said. “What else is she going to tell herself? She has to sleep at night somehow.”
Nunes chuckled when asked about that comment because it's the same type of remark that has been made about her for years.
Nunes is traditionally a very fast starter and that has led to her running out of gas in some past fights, but she's worked tirelessly to fix those issues in recent fights. For her bout against Miesha Tate at UFC 200, Nunes traveled to Las Vegas well ahead of the event to give her body time to acclimate to the drier climate as well as the time difference from her home in Florida.
She's done the same thing for UFC 207, so Nunes says she's ready for five rounds but hopes Rousey is prepared for the same.
"Honestly, always my opponents have something to talk about me. My last opponent Miesha Tate, she said she's going to break me mentally. Now Ronda Rousey," Nunes said. "If I finish these people in the first round it's because I don't need to go to the second.
"Honestly she did this interview because she doesn't have anything else to talk about me because she knows I'm the best. She knows I'm better than her. That's why she made these excuses. I know I'll be ready for five rounds but I don't think this fights going to go that far, but if does, I'm going to be ready."
