When Donald Trump changed his mind about Ronda Rousey after latter's endorsement of Bernie Sanders: "Not a nice person"

Ronda Rousey and Donald Trump found themselves at odds around nine years ago. Trump garnered headlines for publicly jibing at 'Rowdy,' as he'd noticeably changed his opinion about her after seemingly realizing that she didn't support his presidential campaign.

An Olympic bronze medalist Judoka, Rousey made her MMA debut in March 2011 and UFC debut in February 2013. She swiftly became one of the fight game's biggest draws ever, besides appearing in high-profile Hollywood movies and other mainstream pop culture programming.

In the lead-up to the 2016 US presidential elections, Rousey unraveled her voting preferences. In 2015, the then-undefeated fighter asserted that she wouldn't vote for Donald Trump, suggesting that she wouldn't trust a reality TV star to govern her country as the POTUS (President of the United States). Speaking to CNN, she stated:

"I mean, I wouldn't vote for him ... I just really wouldn't trust the guy with running my country, that's all."

Trump subsequently spoke to CNN and indicated that Ronda Rousey supported him. While discussing how he supported the inclusion of women in the US Armed Forces, Trump cited Rousey as an example of a skilled female combatant and said:

"Ronda Rousey is an example, who likes me ... I'd take her on my side as a fighter."

Moreover, in an interview with Maxim, Rousey criticized the two-party (Democrat vs. Republican) system's domination in American politics. She explained that as a way of making people take third parties seriously, she'd voted for comedian Roseanne Barr in the 2012 elections.

Ronda Rousey emphasized that politicians shouldn't be permitted to procure money from sources with vested interests. Underscoring that she'd like Vermont-based progressive politician, Bernie Sanders, to be elected as POTUS in 2016, Rousey said:

"I'm voting for Bernie Sanders because he doesn't take any corporate money."

In the ensuing months, Ronda Rousey suffered her first professional MMA defeat, losing her UFC women's bantamweight title via second-round KO against Holly Holm at UFC 193 (November 2015). Donald Trump then tweeted that he was glad to see her lose and that she wasn't a nice person. Trump's tweet reads as follows:

"Glad to see that @RondaRousey lost her championship fight last night. Was soundly beaten - not a nice person!"

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What's next for Ronda Rousey and Donald Trump?

After her defeat against Holly Holm, Ronda Rousey returned at UFC 207 (December 2016), losing to Amanda Nunes via first-round TKO. 'Rowdy' hasn't competed in MMA since. Nevertheless, she extensively performed in the WWE, making a mark in the professional wrestling realm.

Rousey departed the WWE in 2023. During the promotional tour for her book (Our Fight: A Memoir) this year, she signaled that her oft-discussed potential return to MMA/pro wrestling may not materialize. The 37-year-old asserted that she was dealing with concussion-related health issues heading into the Holm fight, which contributed to the loss and her MMA exit.

On the other hand, Donald Trump won the 2016 elections and held the office of US president from 2017 to 2021. He lost the 2020 elections to veteran Democrat and current POTUS Joe Biden. Presently, Trump and Biden are battling it out in the 2024 US presidential elections, with both looking to bag the position yet again. Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders is reportedly seeking re-election to his Senate seat.