Golovkin: Rousey is the ‘best female athlete in the world’
Gennady Golovkin: “She is nice lady. She’s great athlete. She’s the best female athlete in the world. She’s a beautiful lady and beautiful person. I like her. She’s tough.”
Gennady Golovkin is a current WBO and IBO middleweight boxing champion and one the sports fastest growing stars. He was nominated for ESPN’s ‘Best Fighter’ at this year’s ESPYs, an award he lost to UFC champion Ronda Rousey. But speaking to MMA Junkie recently, Golovkin said the rewards and acclimation Rousey receive is well warranted:
I know her; we’ve been training maybe two, three times together in boxing gym, Golovkin told MMAjunkie. She is nice lady. She’s great athlete. She’s the best female athlete in the world. She’s a beautiful lady and beautiful person. I like her. She’s tough.
Golovkin is rapidly gaining attention of his own in the boxing world and is primed to become the sport’s next breakthrough mainstream star. He meets David Lemieux in a middleweight championship unification match on Saturday in a HBO pay-per-view headliner at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Even with his busy schedule, though, Golovkin said he’s found time to watch Rousey’s fights. He tuned in for her 34-second knockout of Bethe Correia at UFC 190 in August, a fight in which Rousey used strictly punches to plant a fight-ending right hand on Correia’s temple for the highlight-reel knockout.
Golovkin said he was impressed by the boxing technique Rousey displayed in the contest.
She’s good, Golovkin said. Beautiful performance. She has great technical (skills).