Ronda Rousey blown away by artwork paying homage to her

LOS ANGELES — It takes a lot to catch Ronda Rousey off guard, as any of the UFC women’s bantamweight champion’s vanquished opponents can painfully attest.

Yet that is a feat accomplished by Venice Beach street artist Jonas Never, using little more than paint, a ladder and his creative imagination.

When Rousey was asked for a specific moment that brought home to her the extent her fame, she did not choose a film premiere, a photo shoot or a brush with a Hollywood megastar.

Instead, it was when the 28-year-old first caught sight of a mural in her honor painted by Never, close to her home by the Pacific Ocean.

“Actually, that is the kind of thing that blew me back,” Rousey said. “I grew up in Venice and street art is really a big thing there.

“That’s the thing that really kind of gets me. That’s more surreal than any media, the people and the locals and the culture embracing everything that is going on.”

Before she jetted off to Melbourne, Australia, where she will fight Holly Holm on Nov. 14, Rousey passed by the mural to get another look and says that seeing a testament to her increased profile in an area close to her heart helps keep her grounded.

While Venice Beach is just a few miles from downtown Los Angeles and the bright lights of Hollywood, the community’s relaxed vibe has provided a peaceful haven as her career has exploded over the last few years.

“That’s why I really love the area so much, because it is such a part of the local culture that everyone wants to be local and cool about everything,” Rousey said. “(People) just don’t want to make a big deal about celebrity. People usually just say ‘Hi’ if I am walking down the street. It is not like I am getting chased everywhere.”

For Never, who has painted dozens of murals since starting in 2006, the choice of Rousey for his latest project was a no-brainer. He was hired by Colleen Ford, manager of Clutch restaurant on Venice’s busy Lincoln Blvd., to paint a large, road-facing wall in the establishment’s parking lot, and the pair quickly decided that paying homage to Rousey would be the right move.

“The timing of it was right but most importantly was what Ronda means to the people around here,” Never, who attended Santa Monica High School a few years ahead of Rousey, told USA TODAY Sports. “Now she is a global star, she travels and competes all over the world, but you constantly hear how connected she feels with this area.

“It also brings pressure — when someone lives nearby and is going to see your finished product you don’t want them to hate it. But fortunate the response from her was totally positive, so that was hugely satisfying.”

Rousey’s hectic schedule, especially since her forays into the acting world, have led some to question how long she can maintain her dominance in UFC while also moving forward with other pursuits.

However, the 2008 Olympic judo bronze medalist insists that the wilder her unexpected Hollywood journey becomes, the more it intensifies her competitive spirit.

“It is kind of weird,” she said. “The more chaotic everything is outside, the better I do in fights. The best performances I have ever had, I was in the most emotional turmoil beforehand. (Fighting) is what I do to fix myself. Fighting is my sanctuary from all of that. Fighting is almost my escape.”

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