Ronda Rousey’s Influence on Dana White’s Change of Course With Women Fighters, Pannie Kianzad Credits UFC CEO for Support

The UFC Vegas 88 women’s bantamweight fight between Pannie Kianzad and Macy Chiasson ended in disappointment for the former. Being the first Iranian UFC woman’s fighter, the UFC stage was a big thing for Kianzad and she was all thankful to Ronda Rousey and Dana White for it.

There was once a time ͏when Dana White was not open to female fighting under the UFC promotion, but everything changed when he witnessed the ferocity of Ronda Rou͏sey. Kianzad highlighted this transformation in an exclusive conversation with Essent͏iallySports. In ͏th͏is interview, Kianzad explained her love͏ for the UFC and expressed gratitude towards Dana White and Ronda Rousey.

Pannie Kianzad shows her gratitude to Dana White

The clash between Kainzad and Chiasson signified UFC’s commitment to further integrating women fighters into the sport, showcasing their dedication to inclusivity. Interestingly, there was a time when Dana White was not even considering a female MMA division within the promotion. Fast forward to today, the UFC boasts four divisions exclusively dedicated to women MMA fighters. In an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, Kainzad explained why Dana White considered increasing the presence of female MMA fighters.

“I mean, he is the reason he got us fights in the UFC. So, like you said, he wasn’t sold on female MMA, and then, until he saw Ronda. And Ronda was the stepping stone. We had a lot of females before that. When he saw Ronda, he saw a female that could play like a man, like a super manly dominated world.” Kianzad said.

She further added, “And now, just because he gave us a chance, we are showing that exactly the same level of fighting. And I love UFC for that. It is the best org in the world. And when it comes to giving females the spot, then it works best.”

Kianzad highlighted that there were many female fighters in the world, however, Ronda Rousey’s reign was supreme, sadly she left the UFC back in 2016 and seems like she is not planning to make a comeback as her new Instagram post seems to have answered the question about her return.

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Ronda Rousey might not come back ever again

Ronda Rousey is undeniably one of the greatest female athletes of all time. Her reign as a champion in both UFC and WWE is remarkable, and there are few who can rival her legendary status.

Her last fight was on Summerslam 2023 and since then she has been absent from the MMA and wrestling scenes altogether. In one of her recent statements, Rousey asserted that she was writing a book, and seems like we finally know what the book is all about. In her latest Instagram post, Rousey revealed the hardcover of the book which seems like it’s a book about her story as a fighter.

The former UFC and WWE champion is set to be released from the WWE on April 4th. What’s your opinion on Ronda Rousey’s career? And do you think Kianzad can bounce back from her setback? Let us know in the comments.

Watch UFC Fight Night: Tuivasa vs Tybura on 17th March 2024 from 4:30 AM IST onwards LIVE on Sony Sports Ten 2 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 SD & HD (Tamil & Telugu).

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