Coach: Ronda would fight Cyborg in 24 hours

Edmond Tarverdyan, owner of Glendale Fight Club, and head coach of Ronda Rousey, recently appeared on Submission Radio, and discussed among other tropics Cris Cyborg, and the Invicta FC featherweight champion’s charge that Rousey is afraid to fight her.

(Laughs) It doesn’t matter what she says,” said the coach. “I’m sick and tired of hearing that girl’s name. It really doesn’t matter what she says. She knows where Ronda is, UFC is ready. Dana and everybody is ready to sign her, and even though Ronda’s the best in the world, we don’t even need her in the way, you know? She just talks for no reason, you know? Don’t talk, make the division, come to the UFC, and we’re ready to fight. Ronda’s ready to fight. Doesn’t matter who it is, Ronda loves challenges. She went back to back with a hurt knee against – she had to do operate [on] her knee, she still fought with a knee like that with Sarah McMann [who] nobody beat at that time and good wrestler, silver medalist, and stopped her with a body shot. Ronda loves challenges, so it’s not like Ronda’s scared. That’s just unnecessary talk.

“Ronda would want to fight her tomorrow. If you’re telling Ronda you’re fighting tomorrow, she’s making the weight. Ronda will make the weight definitely within the day. 100 percent Ronda would make the weight in one day. She’s done it before in the ultimate fighter. How does Ronda make weight in one day? She lost all of that weight, 20 pounds – more I would say – in one day. So Ronda will fight her tomorrow. That’s 100 percent a fact. I know my fighters. We can’t lie about things like this, because if we lie, we can’t be true to ourselves when we train, and when I talk about Ronda, everything is a fact. Everything is true.

Tarverdyan was asked if Cyborg has the striking advantage.

No way, no way, no way, no way,” he explained. “Ronda beats Cyborg any given day in striking. Any given day. Cyborg fought a Muay Thai girl – and we have coaches that have trained with her too. We know her – she got dropped with a push kick (laughs) on her face. No way. You know, Ronda has sparred with the best female Muay Thai champion in United States. They know Ronda is the best of all of them. It’s not only the best. 14 ounce gloves, they’re most of the time they’re on the floor and getting up, you know? No way. Ronda’s too good for her.

Tarverdyan was dismissive of the champ’s next challenger, Bethe Correia. Rousey fights Correia at UFC 190: Rousey vs. Correia on August 1, 2015 at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

There’s more girls of course, that do deserve to fight Ronda also, like Jessica Eye and you know, their time will come too,” he said. Ronda’s going to demolish her, you know in front of her home town so she could keep her mouth a bit closed. We usually don’t get into female business when they’re fighting, but definitely this chick talks a little bit too much, and Ronda’s real excited to fight her, real focused, and is gonna eat her alive. That’s what she’s going to do

The coach was asked what skills Bethe has that might be dangerous to Rousey.

Nothing. Nothing. Nobody,” he replied. “There could be three Bethe’s together, or Bethe – word is five letters to spell that out? There could be five of her. Five chicks like that, they can’t do s—to Ronda.

I think Ronda wants to beat her up a little bit because of the way she’s been talking. That was the plan with Miesha Tate because these two, they like to talk a little bit, you know; and Ronda beat up Meisha Tate pretty bad before she submitted her – rocked her into the third round. She didn’t know where she was.”

Bethe talks a little bit too much, so I’m thinking Ronda will want to punish her face a little bit; and the way she punches now – either hand, either punch, whether it’s a jab, right cross, left hook, right hook, left uppercut, left liver shot, right kidney shot, elbow, everybody knows it’s gonna land and she’s going to kill her when it lands. She punches too big right now. She drops a lot of people in the gym with 14 ounce gloves. These chicks can’t take her shots.

Edmond was not concerned about the fight taking place in Correia’s native Brazil.

On Edmond being concerned about fighting in Brazil

(laughs) No, no way, no, no way, no,” he said. “We never cared. Ronda never cares about where she fights. Of course she loves to fight in Brazil, she wants to fight for all the fans. She loves that. It’s not like she doesn’t care, but not caring meaning, she doesn’t care, you know? It could be anywhere. She’s been in big arenas, you know in the Olympic games, in the world championships of Judo, she’s performed in a lot of countries. Like she said, they booed her, this, that. She’s so prepared mentally. Rules, regulations, doesn’t matter what. Nothing is going to be different for Ronda. Ronda is going to take that as a motivation to her to beat her ass more. That’s it. That’s how she looks at it.

The coach was equally confident about Rousey hanging with Laila Ali in an exhibition boxing match, something that Ronda’s mother said was not completely outside the realm of possibility, if it was for charity.

Absolutely,” said the coach. “Absolutely

Tarverdyan also liked Rousey’s chances vs. 18-time world boxing champion in three weight classes Holly Holm, who currently fights as a UFC bantamweight.

She can’t deal with pressure that well, you know?” he said. “And even though she’s a boxer, it doesn’t matter. You watch her boxing fights, she doesn’t deal with pressure very well and I’ve always said it, Ronda would beat Holly Holm in a boxing match. Stops her within three rounds.

Holly Holm, not a problem. It’s not a problem. Not at all. I know she’s a bigger girl, but doesn’t matter. Ronda could fight anybody. Ronda averages 120 punches per round when she boxes. 120 punches, and everybody knows those punches are going to land. She’s going to attack, those punches are going to touch. If she doesn’t touch, if out of 80 of those 100 punches do not touch, I guarantee you Ronda will be crying in between the rounds all day. Everybody knows that. She’ll cry all day. So Ronda is amazing. Of course she can fight Holy Holm. These girls haven’t seen a special fighter like that, you know, that has done so much for the sport, and everybody is watching her because of how exciting and how great she is.

Tarverdyan also discussed the one that got away – Rousey vs. Gina Carano.

“It would’ve been fun of course.,” he said. “You know any fight out there that’s exciting for the fans to watch I’m always with it. Honestly Gina Carano has good striking, and she’s fluid, and she’s not that stiff like a robot like Cyborg. Cyborg is a robot. Ronda will demolish her. So Gina would be a better challenge I believe, and as a trainer I know what I’m talking about.”

(1:29:42 mark)