Mixed martial arts is one of the toughest sports in existence, allowing as it does the central elements of all the world’s combat sports. However, during a recent appearance on Joe Rogan’s JRE podcast, UFC president Dana White said there is something tougher than the world’s elite fighting men – the women.

In “The Boxer” Paul Simon wrote compellingly about the price of combat sports.

In the clearing stands a boxer
And a fighter by his trade
And he carries the reminders
Of ev’ry glove that laid him down

At UFC 193,women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk landed a record 70 low kicks on Valerie Letourneau, and 220 strikes total. Valerie Letourneau carried reminders of every one.

At the UFC, we always believed in Valerie Letourneau,” said White, as transcribed by Mike Bohn for MMAjunkie. “She’s big, strong for that division, and now she’s at least going to sit in the rankings where she belongs. She wasn’t ranked No. 8 (in reality). She’s better than that, and she proved it. Joanna’s just a f—ing monster.

I went to the hospital there and I had Joanna Jedrzejczyk there, I had Valerie Letourneau there and I had Ronda Rousey there. I’m walking from room to room going, ‘Jesus Christ, this is a crazy business we’re in, man.’ It’s just so crazy, these girls.

Valerie Letourneau is – oh my God. Her eye was massive. It was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen, her eye. It was so bad. So then I’m like, ‘How’s your leg?’ Then she looks at me and pulls the covers over and shows me her leg. I’ve never seen anything like that. It was – I’m telling you, (she) is banged up right now.

The women are tougher than the men. Woman have babies for Christ’s sake. They’re way tougher than us. Way tougher than the men.