Ronda Rousey, the UFC bantamweight champion, has refused to be drawn on the volley of scathing criticism aimed at her coach, Edmond Tarverdyan, from her mother, AnnMaria De Mars.
In an interview with LatiNation recently, De Mars, a former world judo champion, claimed Tarverdyan had “hit the lottery” when Ronda took up MMA. She also got personal with the trainer, stating he was a “bad person” and a “terrible coach.” But Rousey has refused to be drawn on the matter.
“Any reaction or response I have to my mother, she's going to hear it from me and not a media outlet," Rousey said, per Michael Martinez of UFC.com. “I really don’t think that’s anybody’s business.” She also refused to comment on whether or not her comments to De Mars would be of a positive of negative nature, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com).
Here's a reminder of what De Mars had to say:
As reported by Martinez, Tarverdyan was equally coy when he was quizzed on the matter. “It's her mom, at the end of the day, and that's it,” he said. “I'm a person that's never spoke negative about anybody's mom and will never do that. Friendship, anybody. I've always said a mom is a mom and that's it. That's all I have to say.”
It doesn’t seem as though either Rousey or Tarverdyan are letting their focus waiver as they prepare for UFC 193. That event is scheduled to take place on Nov. 15 at the Etihad Stadium, Melbourne and Ronda’s defence of her title against Holly Holm will top the bill in what’s set to be a jam-packed venue.
It’s an occasion that will cement Rousey’s status as the most popular fighter in the sport. As we can see courtesy of ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Ronda’s preparations have also commanded a great deal of attention:
Ronda Rousey just emerged from about two hours of hair and makeup for a big media scrum in Glendale. pic.twitter.com/rIfupjVPCT
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) October 27, 2015
According to the Press Association (via ESPN.com), Tarverdyan wasn’t initially interested in taking Rousey on when she made her intentions clear to learn MMA. However, he was eventually won over by the judo skills the American possessed, attributes which De Mars played a critical role in forming.
Still, you can’t imagine the champion would have been too pleased with the comments from her mother. As the fight edges closer and closer, it’s imperative focus is narrowed and preparations sharpen. To have a distraction like that from someone so close to you that could potentially damage a key dynamic is far from ideal.
As we can see here courtesy of BreatheSport, Rousey’s fights in the UFC so far seem to suggest the coach-competitor relationship seems to be working pretty well:
Ronda Rousey is the most dangerous unarmed woman in the world... pic.twitter.com/Fyu9858InR
— BreatheSport (@BreatheSport) August 5, 2015
However, it’s an issue that has been shut down professionally by both Rousey and Tarverdyan. Regardless of what De Mars may think of the coach, whatever training he’s been doing with the 28-year-old has been working superbly, as Ronda seeks to defend her UFC title for a seventh time against Holm.
The PA report noted there is a “tight bond” between Rousey and Tarverdyan, one which is unlikely to be strained despite the comments from De Mars. You can bet both coach and fighter will be hoping the final build-up toward the biggest fight of Rousey’s life will be a lot more streamlined.
