Ronda Rousey takes on Holly Holm in the main event of UFC 193 this weekend in Melbourne, Australia, but Rousey said that she is "going to disappear" for a while following the fight, according to Mike Bohn of ROLLING STONE. She said, "After this fight, I'm definitely going to let some people miss me, for sure. ... I would like to wait until UFC 200 to fight again." Rousey said she is "still going to be busy," as she will be filming movies during that time. Bohn noted from talk-show appearances on "Ellen" and "The Tonight Show" to guest-hosting gigs on "SportsCenter" and "history-making cover shoots for Ring Magazine," Rousey has maintained a "constant presence" in recent months. If all goes according to her plan, Rousey "won't set foot inside the Octagon again" until July 9, when UFC "takes over the new Las Vegas Arena" (ROLLINGSTONE.com, 11/11). Meanwhile, USA TODAY's Nancy Armour wondered if Rousey had "largely gotten a pass for a violent encounter with an ex-boyfriend that she recounted in her autobiography published earlier this year." Armour: "If a male athlete -- heck, any man -- had described an incident like this, had reacted with a rage this extreme, the outrage would have been swift and severe. And rightly so. So why not the same for Rousey?" (USATODAY.com, 11/12).
LOOKING TO BREAK A RECORD: USA TODAY's Martin Rogers noted UFC 193 is "set to break the all-time attendance record" for an MMA event, which is 55,724 set at Toronto’s Rogers Centre for an '11 event headlined by Georges St-Pierre-Jake Shields. This weekend's card marks the "first time the organization has been to Melbourne." UFC Managing Dir for Operations in Canada, Australia & New Zealand Tom Wright said, “It is going to be a big crowd. There are a lot of factors with that. Ronda is probably our biggest star globally. It is the first time we have come here. You have one chance to make a first impression and we want to do it with a big show" (USATODAY.com, 11/12). ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne noted during most of Rousey's open workouts in Melbourne this week, officials have had to "hold her back from crowd surfing." Following one recent public workout, Rousey "went over to the crowd and signed autographs for about 45 minutes.” Rousey said, “Making history has become important. Making like this legacy, something to be remembered, has become important and I'm not done yet. There are many more things that need to be done for it to be something that we'll never see again and breaking the attendance record and beating Holly Holm is the next step” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 11/12).
LOOKING UP FROM DOWN UNDER: Twelve UFC partners will be featured during the broadcast or in the Octagon, according to fight promoters. Those include brands such as MetroPCS, Reebok, Bud Light and DraftKings. MetroPCS, together with Periscope, will provide fans with an opportunity to watch Rousey walk from her locker room to the Octagon on fight night. Users will get a live, over-the-shoulder view. Other partners, such as Unibet and Monster Energy, have been running activations throughout the week leading up to fight night. Monster Energy, along with EA Sports, Reebok and UFC Gym, will also be present at this weekend’s UFC Fan Village at Etihad Stadium (HJ Mai, SBD Global).
