Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagicRonda Rousey is having a moment.
The UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion most recently made history as the first woman to be featured on the cover of Australia's Men's Fitness magazine, and the timing couldn't be better, as she will soon be defending her title when she fights Holly Holm in Melbourne in November.
In an interview with E! News, the 28-year-old mixed martial artist opens up about her forthcoming fight, her newfound friendship with Serena Williams as well as the rumors about her dating life.
"I'm the champion for a reason," Rousey tells us, remaining confident that she will beat Holm. "I'm the champion because I'm the best in every area. If I haven't gotten the chance to prove it so much with my other opponents, then Holly is a blessing because I'll be able to display what I'm really capable of.
"On paper, this actually looks like a terrible fight for me," she continues. "But I'm going to show everybody why what you see on paper isn't what you're going to see in person. She's going to have a lot of changed stats the day that I beat her."
While Rousey is confident in her skills in the ring, the athlete admits she worries about losing her title "constantly."
"I worry about it so much...That's why I work so much harder than they do," she explains. "And it's why I go to sleep every night worry about every single possible scenario and I'm so much more prepared than them."
She adds: "The dog with the bone is always in danger, so of course I'm always the most worried."
As she continues to remain at the top of her game, Rousey has become a role model for both her body and badass image.
Her secret to handling any backlash? Simply not giving a s--t.
"I like to be part of the change I want to see in the world," she says. "Not being afraid of criticism is actually a big advantage. I feel like I tried to be agreeable and failed – it failed me. And so I just did not give a s--t and ended up succeeding a lot more because of it...Now I have all these people saying the most terrible things you can think of about me, but I could comfortably retire right now if I wanted to. It just put into perspective how little other people's opinions are actually worth."
As Rousey's star power continues to grow, her romantic life has also become the subject of publication fascination, although the actress chooses to stay mum when asked about her personal life.
"I try to keep my personal life private because once people get used to me explaining myself and what I do in my personal life, they'll start feeling entitled to an explanation," she shares. "There are some things you have a right to keep near and dear."
While Rousey may be one of the top athletes today, the Furious 7 star is still just like us in many ways—particularly, when it comes to her love for Serena Williams.
"Serena hit me up and I almost died! We've hung out a little bit and she's so cool. She's so awesome," she gushed, fangirling over the tennis star.
"At first I was like, 'Oh my god, I'm so nervous.' And then after a few minutes I was like, 'This girl is so awesome!' We HANDLED some sushi. It was nice to be out with another cool woman who can handle some food."
Oh, to be a fly on the wall during that sushi dinner.