Ronda Rousey has a message for Sean Strickland: if you want tickets, you better learn some respect.
The UFC middleweight champion recently requested complimentary seats for Saturday's highly anticipated fight between Rousey and Gina Carano. But there's a catch—the request must go through Rousey herself, and she's not letting him off easy.
Strickland made headlines back in February when he dismissed women's MMA, calling the sport's female athletes "too empowered" and suggesting they should focus on domestic duties instead. He also openly stated he had "no interest" in the Rousey-Carano bout. Now, he's suddenly eager to watch from ringside.
Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), revealed the irony of the situation on Thursday. "I got a request from Sean Strickland, but I need to talk to Ronda because he was very derogatory about Ronda and Gina," Bidarian said. "He was disrespectful and saying inappropriate things. While we would love to have him as a UFC champion, you can't disrespect the headliners and call for free tickets."
Rousey, never one to back down, had a sharp response. "Sure, he can come," she laughed. "I'm glad it has to go through me now. Come on over. We can convert anyone."
The fight itself is a monumental moment for women's MMA. Rousey, 39, was the first woman signed by the UFC in 2012 and became one of the sport's biggest stars after winning an Olympic bronze medal in judo. Carano, 44, paved the way for women in MMA before retiring in 2009 to pursue acting. Both are coming out of retirement to headline the card at the Intuit Dome in California.
Saturday's event marks MVP's first venture into MMA and will stream globally on Netflix. The undercard features a lineup of former UFC stars, including Francis Ngannou, Nate Diaz, and Mike Perry—making it a must-watch for fight fans.
Strickland's comments haven't stopped with Rousey and Carano. He also claimed that even the "softest" man could beat former two-weight UFC champion Amanda Nunes. Nunes, who is expected to return to the UFC this year after retiring in 2023, fired back: "We do everything he said, and to top it all off, lol, we're fighters too. Don't cry."
As for Strickland, he'll need to watch his words—and his wallet—if he wants a seat at the table. Or in this case, the cage.