Ronda Rousey talks 'TUF 18,' getting 'punked' and 'Mr. Tate,' Bryan Caraway

After two long days on the set of Season 18 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” UFC women’s bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey can see normalcy inching toward her life.

The past few months have been a whirlwind of media appearances and fan events, but filming gives her one place to be every day.

For now, though, chaos remains the norm.

“I’m just having a couple days of the usual,” Rousey told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “Every day is different, and that’s the only thing that’s the same. If I had a bunch of similar days, that’s the thing that’s different. I’m used to things constantly evolving around me.”

Rousey arrived on Tuesday to find Miesha Tate waiting for her at the Las Vegas compound where filming takes place. She was supposed to coach on the show opposite the undefeated Cat Zingano, with the two fighting at the end of the year. But as she later found out, Zingano blew out her knee, and the UFC installed Tate.

The former opponents now coach opposing squads of male and female bantamweights who hope to secure a UFC contract by winning the reality show tournament.

According to a report about her first day of filming, the switch wasn’t a welcome surprise for Rousey. Although she’s unquestionably a star and the champion, she told a reporter she thought she was being replaced by Tate.

“I probably shouldn’t have said anything at all,” Rousey said. “But it was just I was approached with it, and the way it was said, was what led me to think that. I can’t really say anything more, but it’s reality gold. People are going to love it.

“I got punked. I hope a lot of people are entertained by that.”

After the initial shock wore off, Rousey saw the switch from a different perspective. She’s now excited to coach opposite Tate and fight her again.

The two brought fireworks to a headlining title fight in March 2012 under the now-defunct Strikeforce banner. Rousey submitted then-champ Tate with a brutal first-round armbar and cemented her status as a top-tier competitor.

Rousey said their longstanding rivalry should drive the show to success.

“I’m happy that Miesha is here,” she said. “People were asking for there to be a ‘TUF’ between me and Miesha long before it was announced that there was going to be a women’s ‘Ultimate Fighter,’ and so the demand for this to happen has been there long before this actually manifested.”

If the first few days of the shoot is any indication, the fireworks this time around might not be between Rousey and Tate, but Rousey and Tate’s fighter boyfriend, Bryan Caraway.

“Miesha by herself isn’t that bad,” Rousey said. “Miesha in combination with her pet boyfriend, Mr. Tate, is frickin’ something else. She’s different when he’s around. I can’t stand him. I really feel like if she wasn’t with him, she would fight better and she would be a better person.

“He’s always glued to her hip, because if he’s not next to her, no one ever notices him.”

Rousey paid close attention to Caraway’s recent controversial comments about marijuana. Pat Healy tested positive for pot at UFC 159, prompting the UFC to strip him of $130,000 in bonuses – and instead give a $65,000 “Submission of the Night” bonus to Caraway, who fought on the same card.

Caraway initially said he hated marijuana, which prompted sometime Rousey training partner Nate Diaz to call the fighter a derogatory slur for homosexuals. Rousey called Diaz’s comment “a poor choice of words at the worst possible time.”

Later, Caraway softened his stance to say that his comments were informed by past negative experiences with the drug. Rousey was none too impressed.

“He’s a little f—king tool, and it sounds like the kind of thing he would have to say,” she said. “He hates on something he knows nothing about. If he did any of his research, he could give an intelligent answer. But honestly, he hasn’t, so he can’t.”

On Thursday afternoon, Caraway responded to Rousey’s comments in a written statement.

“I respect Ronda as a fighter,” Caraway said. “I wish her the best of luck with this season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’ She’s entitled to her opinion. I would just respond by asking her to literally take her own advice: She hates on something she knows nothing about. If she did any of her research, she could give an intelligent answer regarding my relationship with Miesha. But honestly, she hasn’t, so she can’t.

“If she doesn’t like me, then she doesn’t, but this isn’t about me. This season of TUF is about Miesha, Ronda and the fighters on their teams.”

Despite her enmity, Rousey believes she’ll have no problem keeping herself in check during filming. She’s brought familiar faces to the set, as well, utilizing Manny Gamburyan and Edmond Tarverdyan as coaches on the show.

It was through Gamburyan that Rousey first became acquainted with “The Ultimate Fighter.” Gamburyan, nicknamed, “The Anvil,” got his start in the UFC on the show’s fifth season, making it to the finale before a shoulder injury crowned Diaz the tournament champ.

“He’ll always be my favorite,” Rousey said of Gamburyan.

On Wednesday, Rousey left the set exhausted after more than nine hours of filming. She declined to complain about the investment, however, because she’s excited to help up-and-coming fighters reach their dreams.

A regular bed should be nice, too.

“I feel terrible for Cat,” Rousey said. “I know that she must be crushed. I know that she really deserved and earned the shot, but we’re just going to make the best with what we’re given, and I’m sure this is going to be the best season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ ever.”

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Ronda Rousey)