Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey has previously discussed the ex-boyfriend she dubbed “Snappers McCreepy,” who surreptitiously took nude images of her. That despicable act led her to agree to be photographed ESPN’s Body Issue magazine; if nude images were going to appear, the champion wanted it to be on her terms.
“Rowdy” talked about it during an appearance on the ‘Opie Radio’ show on SiriusXM.
Why Ronda Rousey Decided To Pose Nude
“It’s more of a defensive thing,” said Rousey as transcribed by David St. Martin for MMAFighting.com. “Writing the book, the whole, ‘My Fight, Your Fight’ thing has really forced me to be introspective and figure out why I do things the way I do. It was because of that one ex, we called him ‘Snappers McCreepy,’ because we caught him taking naked pictures of me. The first thing I did was take naked pictures for ESPN.
“If it’s going to get out there, then I want it to get out there on my terms. The same thing with playing the heel. If people are going to dislike me it’s because I sought for it to be that way.”
“It was right before my first title fight, actually. It was like two weeks before and I was pumping out a lot of social media to try and get people to pay attention. He went to work and I stayed behind and was using his computer. I was downloading a picture off Facebook so I could put it onto Twitter. You know how it shows the preview of recent downloads?
“I was downloading something and then I just saw a bunch of ass! ‘What is that?’ It looked like it was amateurly taken. I had to look so I looked at it and it was all me.”
“You know when you’re just comfortable naked around somebody? Like you’re just naked on the bed playing DragonVale on your phone? I brush my teeth naked. That was all, every single thing, all naked. I just thought he was on his phone texting people. He asked to take picture of me before and I was like, ‘No, of course not.’ He knew I didn’t [approve]. That’s why his name was Snappers McCreepy and if you read the book you can see how I reacted to said photos.”
“After I got out of there and dealt with that situation, the better way to do it is just like, ‘You know what? If there’s naked pictures out there, I’m going to go take naked pictures myself and I’m going to put it out there on my terms. If people aren’t going to like me, then they’re not going to like me on my terms. I’m going to be the most fantastical villain they’ve ever seen.
“There could be stuff on his phone. I don’t know. It could come up any day, to be honest. … The truth is the best armor. Data and information is what power is right now. If I put everything out there then I really don’t ever have to worry about anyone holding anything against me. I’d rather people find these things out from me rather than later.”
In her my My Fight / Your Fight autobiography, Rousey reveals how she reacted – Snappers McCreepy got an attitude adjustment.
Unlike most women victimized in this fashion, Rousey has ferocious legal resources at her disposal. Should McCreepy’s images make their way onto the Net, he will face far, far worse problems than what happened. Might could catch another beating, too.
Rousey apparently found the ESPN Body issue to be a positive experience, as she later appeared in Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit edition, wearing nothing but paint.
Ronda Rousey Nude In SI
Here’s a behind the scenes look at the swimsuit being painted on.
And here’s a gallery:
For the first time in SI Swimsuit history, three rather one individual cover models were crowned. In addition to Rousey, there was model and body activist Ashley Graham, a size 16, and professional model Hailey Clauson. The size 4 supermodel was in the minority.
Why Ronda Rousey Won’t Pose Totally Nude
When in 2012 Playboy indicated interest in a nude photoshoot, Rousey replied memorably.
No one should be able to see my cash and prizes for $5, okay, she said. I don’t care how much money they gave me.
Rousey has done ESPN’s body issue without clothes on, but while the featured athletes are nude, the cash and prizes are always discretely blocked.
I felt like it was a good way to promote myself and women’s MMA, said Rousey of the ESPN body issue. It wasn’t like Playboy.
Rousey expanded on her limits, following a discussion with her mother.
Well, no one saw my vagina, said Rousey frankly. There’s the one big difference. The agreement that me and my mom came up with was whatever you’re not willing to show in public, you won’t show in a magazine. So if I’m gonna tan on the beach with my top off facedown, how is that different than anything I’ve shot so far? If they can’t see your cash and prizes, then I’m fine with it. If I’m gonna do that on a Saturday, then what’s wrong with me doing it in a magazine?
Another thing you should not expect is for Rousey to look model skinny for a photoshoot. In her autobiography, Rousey detailed her teenage struggles with body issues.
My mind was backward, she said. I thought I wanted my body to look a certain way so I could be happy.
So as an exercise in developing a positive body image for girls and women, Rousey puts on weight for the nude shoots.
I felt like I was much too small for a magazine that is supposed to be celebrating the epitome of a woman, said Rousey. I wanted to be at my most feminine shape, and I don’t feel my most attractive at 135 lbs., which is the weight I fight at. At 150 lbs., I feel like I’m at my healthiest and my strongest and my most beautiful.
I grew up thinking that because my body type was uncommon, it was a bad thing. Now that I’m older, I’ve really begun to realize that my body has developed for a purpose and not just to be looked at.
Now I only try to maintain my fighting weight for a couple hours a year – right before weigh-ins. Afterward, I maintain a weight where I’m not starving or feeling weak, which makes me happier.
