Brock Lesnar: Ronda Rousey 'is a man amongst women' in bantamweight division

Ronda Rousey has gotten plenty of critical acclaim over the last 12 months, from both men and women across the sports and entertainment realm.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, NFL stars, MLB stars, actors, actresses and everyone in between have showered the 28-year-old UFC bantamweight champion with adoration and admiration.

Men and women, yes – however, now, “Rowdy” has her first endorsement from a “Beast.”

WWE superstar and former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar recently appeared on ESPN to discuss the world of MMA and his upcoming match with WWE legend The Undertaker at this Sunday’s SummerSlam in Brooklyn.

And when the topic turned to Ronda Rousey, Lesnar couldn’t hold back his praise for the world’s most feared woman.

"I think she's a super athlete in a weak division – I really do," Lesnar said. "She is a man amongst women in the women's [bantamweight] division and I take my hat off to her."

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Even though the wording may be a little bit insensitive, the praise is undeniable. And although Lesnar might make a few people cringe bringing up another man/woman comparison in relation to Rousey, the fact remains that he’s right: Ronda Rousey is light years ahead of her competition.

Which is evident by her last three fights ending in a combined 64 seconds. And those are world title fights, y’all.

Lesnar is equally impressed. He goes on to heap praise on Rousey as a master of time management – fighting in Brazil, making movies and dominating the competition. And despite his previous comment about a "man amongst women," Lesnar makes it perfectly clear that he means that with the utmost respect. And seeing as Lesnar is a championship contemporary of Rousey’s, this beast knows his kind when he sees it.

"I'm not taking any talent away from her at all. But I think she's a super beast – a super freak in the women's division."

So do we, Brock. So do we.

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Ryan McKinnell is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports Cagewriter blog. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!