UFC champ Ronda Rousey: Acting gigs helped me focus on UFC 168

(This story appears in today’s edition of USA TODAY.)

It’s been more than 10 months since UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey graced the octagon. Even though it marks the longest layoff of her MMA career, the break from fighting really wasn’t much of a break at all.

Before the start of her UFC 168 training camp, Rousey coached “The Ultimate Fighter 18,” then went overseas to films parts in “The Expendables 3? and “Fast & Furious 7.”

The chance to test her acting skills created a needed removal from the spotlight for “Rowdy,” who says it allowed her time away from the responsibilities that come with being the face of women’s MMA and a UFC champion.

“I feel like I definitely needed to change my environment in order to change my mind-set,” Rousey tells USA TODAY Sports and MMAjunkie. “Really focusing on something else, it gave me a whole new huge task to really go after.”

After fulfilling her movie obligations, Rousey (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) returned to California for her six-week training camp for UFC 168, where she’ll have a rematch with Miesha Tate (13-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) on Saturday (10 p.m. ET, pay-per-view) at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Finishing camp in her comfort zone was easy for Rousey. The true challenge came earlier, when she was forced to juggle daily training with extensive hours on the movie set.

“It was one of the most difficult things I ever did,” Rousey says. “It wasn’t a vacation — it was harder than camp in a lot of ways. I had to find a way to make it all work.”

When people told Rousey she couldn’t be in movies and efficiently prepare for her next title defense at the same time, she took it as a challenge.

“Big, giant, fantastic goals are what really focus me and make me the happiest,” she says. “If I just stayed at home and went into camp, I wouldn’t have the same kind of motivation and drive that I would have liked.”

Rousey, 26, got that motivation, though, and it made her realize her hectic schedule is actually a blessing.

“I wake up every morning and I think, ‘You’re in the process of doing something amazing. Get up!’” Rousey says. “That’s what the whole experience brought back into my life.”

Rousey said the loaded schedule only increased her focus on UFC 168, where she meets archrival Tate in the first rematch of her MMA career.

While she already has a first-round submission win against Tate under the now-defunct Strikeforce banner, Rousey isn’t relying on that as a blueprint for success in the second fight.

“Every single fight is brand-new to me,” Rousey says. “That’s why I hate holding the belt before fights. I feel like every fight, I’m the challenger.”

Rousey and Tate have a history of personal and athletic conflicts, most recently seen in countless heated moments on “The Ultimate Fighter.” The champ said she wouldn’t bring any of those emotions into the fight.

Whatever feelings she has toward Tate, Rousey anticipates a different fighter than the one she beat in 2012 to win the title she still holds.

“I’m approaching it like it’s not even a rematch,” Rousey says. “Miesha is going to be the hardest and most prepared opponent I’ve ever faced. I’m expecting her to come out better than she could ever be.”

For more on UFC 168, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.