Ronda Rousey Slams Transgender MMA Fighters On 'Unfair Advantage'

http://www.inquisitr.com/1486964/ronda-rousey-slams-transgender-mma-fighters-on-unfair-advantage/

Ronda Rousey seems to be giving her opinion on everything nowadays, and whenever she speaks, it runs the gamut from edgy to downright nonsensical, but it's always newsworthy, at least as far as MMA fans are concerned.

This time Rousey has decided to weigh in on Fallon Fox, the transgender MMA fighter who broke onto the scene last year. Fox has received quite a bit of criticism, first because she lied about her gender reassignment and secondly because science hasn't quite agreed on whether she has an unfair advantage.

Rousey believes that she does and didn't hesitate to tell TMZ about it when asked.

"In Fallon Fox's case, I think that she has an unfair advantage," Rousey said. "It's outside of her control, but it's unfortunately her scenario. It's unfortunate, especially for her competition as well."

Despite that, Ronda Rousey isn't exactly scared of Fox. She's gone on the record saying she would take a fight with Fox and win it easily. Of course, as Fox Sports points out, she has also said the same thing of the UFC's heavyweight champion, Cain Velasquez.

"I can knock out anyone in the world... I ain't scared, homie."

As for Fallon Fox truly having an unfair advantage, the audience in the women's MMA community appears to be split. While her last opponent, Tamikka Brents, seems to believe that she does, it might not be so easy getting such an admission from Ashlee Evans-Smith, a recent opponent of Fox's, who managed to knock the controversial star out.

Brents wasn't so blessed.

"I've fought a lot of women and have never felt the strength that I felt in a fight as I did that night," Brents said in a Whoa TV interview. "I can't answer whether it's because she was born a man or not because I'm not a doctor. I can only say, I've never felt so overpowered ever in my life and I am an abnormally strong female in my own right."

In related Ronda Rousey news, the UFC women's bantamweight champion is still gunning for a super fight with Gina Carano, though it's difficult to see how it would be much of a super fight considering that Carano's last fight was a first-round knockout loss to Cris Cyborg, and that was more than five years ago.

Why not fight Cris Cyborg instead? Well, Rousey has spoken out on that, too, pointing out that Cyborg left on her own volition because of a doping scandal and that she can come back to the UFC any time she wants.

I'm sure the "Rowdy One" wouldn't have a problem taking that fight either.

What do you think about the comments Ronda Rousey made concerning transgender MMA fighters having an unfair advantage, readers — true or overblown?

It's well known that fighters with larger frames have a weight advantage. That's why wrestling, boxing, etc. are divided up into weight classes. If there's a concern about size advantage, then that's the way to go.

As to whether someone who was born male-bodied but has become chemically female has an advantage over someone of the same size who was born female-bodied, I would love someone to explain how.

surely any larger woman then has an unfair advantage over a smaller woman?

I expected far worse considering the way Ronda can talk sometimes. I think her criticism is fair and I expected much worse. As for Fallon Fox, I am torn. She shouldn't have any sort of unfair advantage, but I feel competition level MMA is something transwomen should probably avoid. It doesn't really help the image of transwomen as a whole when you're punching cis women in the face.

Quote from: Abby Claire on September 20, 2014, 08:22:29 AM
She shouldn't have any sort of unfair advantage, but I feel competition level MMA is something transwomen should probably avoid. It doesn't really help the image of transwomen as a whole when you're punching cis women in the face.

Really? Are there other professions that should be avoided trans women but open to all other women?

I have mix feelings about it being a lie when you don't tell people you are trans.  If that is the case then I am the biggest liar ever.  Is stealth a lie? 

At the same time, as a former MMA fighter, I couldn't bring myself to fight CIS women.  That's just my own personal opinion.  But....I couldn't bring myself to fight other transwomen either. 

They say that transwomen have more developed bones and ligaments because they were already there pre-transition and don't go away.  Then others say that transwomen possess no advantage.  Its a big mystery.

Long story short....I would love to grapple with Ronda Rousey AND Fallon Fox in an innocent sparring match.   

Quote from: suzifrommd on September 20, 2014, 09:40:13 AM
Really? Are there other professions that should be avoided trans women but open to all other women?

That's not what I'm saying at all. It's not very progressive for a group of people that could use some national attention when your occupation requires you punching people in the face. MMA is inherently a masculine sport that women are already having difficulty breaking into without facing ridicule. Trying to bring attention to transgendered people is difficult as it is without facing ridicule and public shaming. While I can personally see no problem with it (I'm also someone who has no problem with women playing in the NBA or other sports as well), the point I'm getting at is the MMA audience (and most North American sports) are already behind when it comes to equality. Throwing in the transgender card only complicates the matter worse and I can see more of a negative public reaction to a trans woman in combat sports. The public isn't even educated as it is when it comes to trans people, and a trans woman beating up cis women isn't going to help that cause.

Eh once you completely minimize the t, the advantage over cis women is a non issue. Especially since a lot of us have lower levels of T than cis women do. What about those women who cycle steroids before competitions, like body building and the like? That's an actual unfair advantage right there. People who arguing against trans women being in sports are just grasping at straws.   

Quote from: Abby Claire on September 20, 2014, 01:51:53 PM
That's not what I'm saying at all. It's not very progressive for a group of people that could use some national attention when your occupation requires you punching people in the face.

Abby, I think you're right about that, but I still wouldn't want to tell a trans woman whose gift is martial arts that she should pick some other profession to which she's not so strongly drawn just for the sake of trans people's image.

Quote from: suzifrommd on September 21, 2014, 05:59:42 AM
Abby, I think you're right about that, but I still wouldn't want to tell a trans woman whose gift is martial arts that she should pick some other profession to which she's not so strongly drawn just for the sake of trans people's image.

Well, she's also not that good and is only an amateur fighter. If she were cis there would be no talk about her at all. And sometimes people have to settle for jobs they don't want and that's not just trans people either. I have a bachelor's and I'm still having to take minimum wage jobs that high schoolers can get.

Meh, I wouldn't really say Ronda slammed her.  She worded her statement pretty respectfully despite thinking she has an unfair advantage.  Even with that, there's a good chance she hasn't really looked into it much and was just responding to a question, which is a pretty pointless question anyway as Fox is no where near Ronda's league right now.