Ronda Rousey, Edmond Tarverdyan focused only on title bout ahead

GLENDALE — Within her Ultimate Fighting Championship career, distractions have been as abundant as accolades, magazine covers and first-ever accomplishments for “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey.

Ahead of her next title defense, nothing has changed for the UFC’s first and only women’s bantamweight champion.

On Tuesday afternoon in the Jewel City as has become a standard leading into her bouts, Rousey and trainer Edmond Tarverdyan hosted a media day as UFC 193 looms on Nov. 15 at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.

PHOTOS: Ronda Rousey meets with media in lead-up to UFC 193

The stadium card has the potential to draw the largest live audience in UFC history, Rousey (12-0, 6-0 in UFC) recently became the first mixed martial arts fighter to grace the cover of “Ring Magazine,” and she’s taken on new upcoming movie roles such as a remake of “Roadhouse.” But of all the newsmaking outside of training to face the undefeated Holly Holm (9-0, 2-0 in UFC), the biggest elephant in the room was Rousey and Tarverdyan’s thoughts on comments made by Rousey’s mom Annmaria De Mars in which she stated her dislike for Tarverdyan as a trainer and a person.

Both were clear that the focus was on Holm and there weren’t going to be any drawn out statements regarding De Mars’ comments.

“It doesn’t matter for me,” Tarverdyan said. “We have a fight in front of us [Nov. 15]. That’s all I worry about and I care about at this point. It’s her mom, at the end of the day, and that’s it. I’m a person that’s never spoke negative about anybody’s mom and will never do that. ... I’ve always said a mom is a mom and that’s it. That’s all I have to say.”

When pressed about being surprised about the comments and the timing of it during a training camp, Tarverdyan said it made no difference.

“It does not matter, nothing surprises [me], nothing’s going to change my opinion, my thoughts,” Tarverdyan said. “I’m focused on the fight.”

Roughly an hour later, the UFC champion took center stage in the corner gym she calls home and was even more concise than her coach.

“Any reaction and response I have for my mother, she’s going to hear from me and not a media outlet,” Rousey said.

She was then asked if she had talked to her mom about it and Rousey, who’s often spoken out about keeping her personal life just that, replied emphatically.

“I really don’t think that’s anybody else’s business,” she said.

Rousey will face her third straight undefeated opponent and her fourth over the last five bouts as the first-ever UFC female fighter has dealt with the outside pressures of making movies, overwhelming media obligations, bad blood with certain opponents and on and on. But Rousey, who made her professional debut with stitches in her foot after breaking up a dogfight, has never let any perceived distractions detract from her work in the cage, as she’s finished all 12 of her fights, 11 inside the first round.

“That kind of stuff, it just kind of makes me more thankful that I have fighting, because this is the place where I keep my focus and my sanity,” Rousey said. “Whatever kind of crazy things that are happening outside of fighting, it just makes me want to go inside the gym more, because this is really my escape from all that.”

“The crazier everything is, the more I want to be in here and the more focused I do get, because it’s the time where I’m entirely in the present and none of those things exist anymore. That’s the only way I can get away from them, is when I’m in here. It’s kind of weird. The more chaotic everything is outside, the better I do in fights. The best performances I’ve ever had, I was in the most emotional turmoil beforehand. This is what I do to be able to fix myself.”

With a record of success unlike any fighter — male or female — before her, perhaps it’s safe to say nothing needs to be fixed. Or better, yet, by the time the cage door locks, all the distractions, nuances of a new opponent and tweaks have been made.

“Of course we always have to make adjustments,” Tarverdyan said. “Ronda’s skills show during the fight. There’s always something going on that we have to make adjustments to prepare her a bit differently, mentally. But we always know that Ronda’s a born fighter and once she’s in the octagon, she’ll be ready.”

UFC 193 is available live on pay-per-view and features a co-main event of women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk (10-0) taking on challenger Valerie Letourneau (8-3).

Until then, Rousey, Tarverdyan and Team Rousey will depart for Australia in the next “few days,” Tarverdyan said. More media will no doubt await, along with a weight cut and who knows what else.

“We just block it out, everything is motivation,” Tarverdyan said. “Every day there’s a lot of criticism. ‘She can box, she can’t. I do a good job, I don’t. This and that. Ronda’s not good, Ronda can’t do this.’ It’s every day.”

Tuesday saw the largest crowd of media yet for Rousey at the GFC, where she hosted her first-ever media day before her first and only defense of her Strikeforce title against Sarah Kaufman in August of 2012. Thereafter, Rousey’s Strikeforce strap became a UFC title and a revolution began with the 28-year-old becoming arguably the most well-known UFC fighter and one of the most high-profile athletes in the world.

“I can’t really get used to it, because every time it’s a little different,” Rousey said. “I just kind of accept every situation that I get into.”

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Grant Gordon, grant.gordon@latimes.com

Twitter: @TCNGrantGordon