Floyd Mayweather defends Ronda Rousey: 'I don't think it's cool how everyone is trolling her'

With Ronda Rousey’s shocking knockout loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193 and the subsequent influx of memes and criticism, it was almost expected that Floyd Mayweather would pile on.

After all, if there were a time for Mayweather to take a shot at the former champion, it would be now. Instead, the recently retired pound-for-pound king did something for which he hasn’t been known: He took the high road.

“I don't think it's cool how everyone is trolling her on social media," Mayweather told FightHype.com in an interview. "Certain things you have to learn. People will love you on Friday, and then Sunday morning, it's nothing but negative comments and people making jokes and people making fun about you, which I don't think is cool.”

He went on to suggest that he’s never had anything against MMA fighters and offered some words of support for both the new champion and the former champ.

“I’m proud of the new girl, Holly, and I'm proud of Ronda,” Mayweather said.

He then went on to praise Rousey’s accomplishments in the UFC despite suffering her first loss in devastating fashion.

“She's only been here for a very, very short time and she's built a great fanbase, and she did it with not so many fights,” Mayweather said.

Mayweather, who is very big on marketing, applauded the efforts of both the UFC and Rousey for transcending the sport, even if his name was disparaged along the way.

“I commend Dana White and the Fertitta brothers [UFC owners] for being able to take a female and make her so huge in a contact sport. I commend them for that, but she had to do her part also, and she did her part,” Mayweather said. “If I was her, I would've used Floyd Mayweather's name also. She's supposed to do that. It's business, it's not personal, and I understand business.”

But Mayweather wasn’t done. He decided to go back to the words that started the feud with Rousey and apologize.

“We're only human. We make mistakes, and like I said before, I apologize for not knowing who she was at one particular time,” Mayweather said. “That just shows you how focused I was on my craft.”

This is a far cry from the Mayweather who has been known to get under the skin of his opponents before fights. But perhaps the five-division world champion is truly a master of turning on the hype only when necessary. And with his boxing career apparently in the rearview mirror, it seems that kicking someone when he or she is down may not be a part of Mayweather’s repertoire any longer. As a matter of fact, if Rousey needs assistance with her boxing skills, Mayweather said he can help.

“I want Ronda Rousey to hold her head up high and don't let this discourage you,” Mayweather said. “If you need help as far as with boxing, I'm here to help you. It's all about timing and inches. Her ground game is unbelievable. She'll be OK.”

If the olive branch to help Rousey weren’t enough, he’s also offering advice on how Rousey and the UFC should handle the rematch.

"I think that she needs some time off to regroup and refocus. I think they're rushing her. They need to build Ronda Rousey back up, her confidence back up, even though I think she's probably still confident," Mayweather said. "Let Holly fight, defend the title a few times, and build it. What I would do, I would put them on the same card fighting against different opponents and then slowly build it up. It's all about timing.”