Floyd Mayweather Jr. not happy with Ronda Rousey landing on the cover of Ring Magazine
Count Floyd Mayweather Jr. as one of the personalities who is not happy to see a mixed martial artist (MMA) fighter in the cover of the January 2016 edition of Ring Magazine. Rousey will be headlining the publication’s first issue next year with the title, “Conquered MMA. Is Boxing Next?”
“Well, you know, congratulations, but you know the sport is starting to look bad when a female fighter from a whole other sport is on the cover of a boxing book," Mayweather Jr., who recently retired from the sport of boxing last September, told Fight Hype.
Ring Magazine is a popular monthly publication, which traditionally features boxers and boxing. But with the rise in popularity of another fight sport, MMA, the expansion of coverage is widely expected. Due to her popularity doubled with impressive performances in her recent fights, Rousey is widely considered as the face of the MMA.
Rousey’s appearance on the cover in Ring Magazine, which had its first issue in 1922 and is the longest sports publication in circulation in the United States, is a first for a female fighter since it featured Cathy Davis on the cover in a 1978 issue, according to the same Fight Hype article.
Mayweather’s criticism appears addressed to Oscar De La Hoya, who currently has ownership of the publication. The recently retired American boxer added that De La Hoya has no other worthy fighters to feature in his magazine that they decided to “steal” Rousey.
Rousey (12-0-0) will be fighting on Nov. 14 when she faces Holly Holm (9-0-0) in an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bantamweight division title fight at the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.
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