Don't ever tell Ronda Rousey what to do with her body.
The mixed martial arts champ is tackling body image issues in Hollywood and served up some real talk in an interview with the New York Times. She shared a specific story about a time she was planning on losing weight for a video campaign, but that changed when she got some unwelcome input.
"Because somebody said something really rude to me, I came into the shoot purposely way heavier,” she says.
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“I swear to God,” she adds, shaking her head, “if anyone calls me fat one more time in my life, I’m going to kill them.”
The undefeated fighter also opened up about previous body image issues, like a bout of bulimia and covering up her body in zip-up jackets.
“I was afraid to show my big arms,” she said.
Now, she's taking control, and speaks candidly about her weight, saying she fights at 135 pounds, but feels best at 148 pounds ("That’s like my favorite weight"). The fighter is proud of her figure, having posed for revealing photos for ESPN Magazine, Maxim and Sports Illustrated. For her, it's not just about flaunting her body -- it's about changing perceptions.
“If I can represent that body type of women that isn’t represented so much in media, then I’d be happy to do that,” she said. “When women say that going on publications directed at men is somehow demeaning, I don’t think that’s true. I think that’s one really effective way to change the societal standard women are held to.”