By Brian Martin, Los Angeles Daily News
Ronda Rousey was heavily favored going into her UFC 168 fight against Miesha Tate. And she delivered a dominant performance in defending her bantamweight championship against her heated rival last weekend.
But in early December, it didn’t appear so simple for Rousey.
Struggling with illness, her weight and an infection on her right hand, Rousey knew she had to do something different.
“I had taken on so much work and done so much the last couple months. I think I needed to change my diet,” Rousey said in an exclusive interview Wednesday during a press tour in Los Angeles.
The 2008 Olympic judo bronze medalist lobbed a phone call to trainer and former UFC fighter Mike Dolce to seek his expertise in getting her on the right path.
The journey actually began six months earlier when Rousey assumed a hefty workload. First came coaching in June against Tate on “The Ultimate Fighter” in Las Vegas, followed by several weeks in Bulgaria filming “The Expendables 3,” then after a few days home, flying to Atlanta for 10 days to film “Fast & Furious 7.”
Followed by six weeks of camp to prepare for the Tate fight.
title defense.
“My whole life, I was normal. And not having any breaks and going from one thing to another and strengthening my immune system was becoming a main concern,” the 26-year-old Venice resident said. “And I never get sick. I don’t get sick at all. But when I was in Bulgaria, I got sick a couple times. And when I started my last camp I was really sick.”
And then there was a sizable cut on the second knuckle of Rousey’s right hand that would not heal properly. A blood blister eventually formed underneath it and the wound worsened.
Rousey took to wearing a bandage on the hand, but the true test of the severity came during a segment on “Fox Sports Live” when one of the hosts went to do a fist-bump on the air. Knowing she couldn’t go easy, Rousey, in her words, “went full pound” and showed off some of her newfound acting chops.
“I pounded with her and my whole hand went GAAAWWW!!!!” Rousey recalled. “It was the worst pain all down my hand, but I just had to do it and play it off.”
She added: “So I got to the point, my weight was heavy. I was barely eating. I’m on antibiotics. My hand wouldn’t heal. And then I was just like, ‘I’m gonna call Dolce and see if he agrees to do it.’ “
tutelage of performance coach Mike Dolce. Dolce is the best-selling author of The Dolce Diet book series.
Dolce’s tutelage paid dividends. Not only did Rousey comfortably make weight at 135 pounds, but she shook off the illness and her hand recovered.
“It totally changed,” Rousey said of her diet. “I went from having one big meal at night where he had me eating throughout the entire day.”
Against Tate, Rousey was extended past the first round for the first time in three amateur and seven pro fights, but Rousey was on point for much of the night. She landed 134 strikes to Tate’s 28 and took down her opponent six times compared with one for Tate.
The end came as they all have — tapout via armbar, only early in the third round.
(This is an excerpt. Click to read the full article.)
About The Author
Reach the author at brian.martin@dailynews.com or follow Brian on Twitter: @thebmartin
