Rousey says it’s more fun to be the heel, and explains lack of handshake

No one in MMA ever got famous faster than Royce Gracie. But in the modern era, the two fighters who got famous fastest are Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey.

Both can play a heel so convincingly that it may not always be an act.

When Rousey refused to shake Tate’s hand post fight, the boos were so loud that commentator Joe Rogan said he had a hard time hearing Rousey’s replies. Tate received a standing ovation.

Rousey appeared on Fox Sports 1′s post-fight show, and offered no apoiogies.

“Like I said in the interview, I went to 30 different countries in judo and I got booed everywhere, said Rousey as transcribed by 5thround.com. Getting cheers is something new to me, and I really feel being the good guy and acting all perfect, it leaves no room for error. I don’t want to have to be stuck in that perfect role.

I’d rather be the heel. The heel’s more fun, the heel’s more interesting. Everyone talks about the Joker, not Batman. For this fight, particularly, she was Scarface, I was Batman. I needed to be a bad guy in order for Gotham City to have a hero. I take the role that’s needed for every situation, so every fight I approach differently.

Earlier in the evening, immediately post fight, Rousey explained to Ariel Helwani what she meant when she said she refused to shake Tate’s hand because Tate had disrespected her family.

“My family is my kids on my show, my coaches, my actual family,” said Rousey. “There’s a lot of things that went on between me and her, I understand that’s a part of the game. But, once you cross that line, I can’t shake the hand of someone who spits on my back. And so I respect her as a fighter, she did an amazing job tonight. It’s just a handshake means something to me. And she hasn’t earned it from me. You really don’t think she can take back what she’s done until she actually formally apologizes to me and my team.”