Ronda Rousey sets the record straight on why she would never fight a man

2015 will forever be known as the year in which everyone in sports and entertainment tried to fight Ronda Rousey — at least hypothetically.

Competition has been scarce for the undefeated UFC women’s bantamweight champion during her tenure as a professional fighter. So much so that the topic of Rousey fighting a man has been talked about at length — Rousey herself even stated that she could beat “100 percent” of the men’s UFC bantamweights if the opportunity presented itself.

In a recent interview with Yahoo News and Finance anchor Bianna Golodryga, the 28-year-old finally put to rest any talk about her ever fighting a man.

Simply put: It sends the wrong message.

“I just don’t think there should ever be a situation where there is an arena full of people gathered around cheering about a man hitting a woman,” Rousey said. “I really don’t see how that would be right. I really don’t see how that would help the sport at all. It would do nothing but hurt it.”

She continued, “Because it’s real. It’s a real fight. It’s not like it’s a movie or a part of a storyline. It’s an actual man hitting a woman and I don’t think that’s ever acceptable.”

After months of never ending speculation, it is nice to see Rousey finally put the proverbial nail in the coffin and state once and for all: No, she will not fight a man.

In the exclusive interview with Golodryga, Rousey also gives her thoughts on a myriad of other topics ranging from PEDs in the sport, deflate-gate, and the influence of her mother on her professional fighting career.

Rousey looks to keep her undefeated streak intact when she meets Brazilian Bethe Correia on Aug. 1 at UFC 190 in Rio de Janeiro.