Dana White once called the former undisputed female GOAT Cris Cyborg, "Wanderlei Silva in a dress and heels." If you've ever caught a glimpse of the hulking figure of Silva, AKA, "The Axe Murderer," you know this isn't a compliment. But in fairness to White, he was defending his then-superstar, Ronda Rousey, who didn't want to fight Cyborg because Cyborg had tested positive for steroids. White was arguing, in his own crass terms, but perhaps accurately, that Cyborg, a multiple-time drug cheat, had wrought unnatural muscle development in her misadventures with banned substances.
But that was 2014. By then, Rousey was a proven commodity. Back in 2011, White dismissed women's mixed martial arts as a whole. When TMZ asked if the ladies would ever compete inside the Octagon, his answer was straightforward: "never." That same year, ironically, the UFC purchased rival organization Strikeforce, whose primary breakout star, would be Rousey.
By 2016, a repentant White was calling Rousey, "By far, not even close, by far the biggest star ever," in an interview with Hot 97 (via USA Today Sports). "Never seen that before in my life and will probably never see it again. That's how big Ronda Rousey is." Rousey headlined two of the top ten UFC PPV events of all time, according to Statista, and would go on to be one of the only true crossover stars the sport has ever produced.
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