With side career, UFC champ Ronda Rousey aims to be 'the female Rock'
When it comes to her fighting career, UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is in a league of her own. But when it comes to her side career, she’s happily a follower.
Since her pro MMA debut in 2011, the undefeated MMA fighter and 2008 Olympic bronze-medal judoka has racked up a 10-0 record with 10 stoppages. And she’s trounced the competition.
Her success in the cage has led to opportunities outside of it, but in the latest edition of The Hollywood Reporter magazine, she said her burgeoning acting career is still a work in progress.
In the Q&A, the 27-year-old Californian discussed her trio of film roles, including the soon-to-release “Expendables 3,†“Fast & Furious 7″ and the “Entourage†movie. Ultimately, she said, she hopes she can model her acting career after Dwayne Johnson’s. Known as “The Rock†during his WWE career, Johnson has launched a successful Holllywood career (and shares screen time with Rousey in the last “Fast & Furious†installment).
Rousey hopes to follow the path he took to the big screen.
“I never thought that being an action movie star was in the cards for me,†Rousey told THR. “My agent, [WME's] Brad Slater, kept telling me, ‘You’re going to be the female Rock.’ Then I started to believe it could be a reality.
“I don’t half-ass anything. If I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it to be the best in the world at it. A lot of actresses appear in action movies, but there aren’t any female action stars. I love Angelina Jolie, but … it’s about believability for me. Milla Jovovich is one of my favorite actresses – ‘The Fifth Element’ really opened my eyes, and the ‘Resident Evil’ franchise was amazing. So definitely a mix of Milla Jovovich and The Rock is what I’m going for. People love chick fights. They love tough, empowered women. And there is a demand. People just don’t know it.â€
For now, though, her primary focus remains MMA. Rousey (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) recently dominated top contender Alexis Davis and scored a 16-second win at UFC 175. While other contenders jockey for position – and with recent arrival of Holly Holm and the potential signings of Invicta FC champ Cristiane Justino and former Strikeforce fighter Gina Carano – she’ll have no shortage of potential opponents. She expected to attempt her fifth UFC title defense later this year, though an opponent hasn’t been determined.
