Edmond Tarverdyan says Ronda Rousey ‘happy, motivated’ training on set
Just more than four months ahead of her next championship defense, Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight titlist “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey embarked on perhaps the most ambitious path of her whirlwind career.
“I’m off to Bulgaria — time to attempt the boldest feat of multitasking in my career,” Rousey wrote on Twitter Aug. 21 as she departed for the Baltic nation to begin filming the action movie “The Expendables 3.”
So far so good, apparently. In fact, things might be even better than usual for Rousey, according to her head coach at the Glendale Fighting Club, Edmond Tarverdyan.
“She’s very, very motivated; very, very happy,” Tarverdyan said. “She speaks to me every day.
“She’s very, very good. I’ve never seen Ronda this motivated and this happy.”
Tarverdyan said Rousey has a workout program, normally training twice a day around her filming schedule in which she does bag work, grappling and other training.
Rousey (7-0) will face rival Miesha Tate (13-4) on Dec. 28, defending her title for the second time against an opponent she defeated previously for the Strikeforce women’s championship, which then morphed into the UFC title when the UFC’s parent company, Zuffa LLC, purchased Strikeforce.
Tarverdyan admitted he was even a bit concerned about Rousey’s training for the bout with her movie commitments, but those worries have dissipated and then some.
“I was worried,” he said. “But honestly, she’d have so much more to do if she was here.”
By more to do, Tarverdyan is referring in large part to the time Rousey spends with media obligations and shuffling back and forth to them when she’s training normally. Now, Tarverdyan contends, Rousey’s time is simply split between filming and training.
“I think she’s getting her training in very, very well,” Tarverdyan said. “If anything, I regret I’m not there for her.”
Tarverdyan, whose fighting stable also includes UFC fighter Manny Gamburyan and boxers Art Hovhanissyan and Gabriel Tolmajyan, will begin a training camp with boxer Vic Darchinyan on Wednesday. Darchinyan is set for a rematch against Nonito Donaire on Nov. 16.
However, Tarverdyan said if all goes well with the camp, he will attempt to fly to Bulgaria for a week to help Rousey.
Rousey’s title bout will conclude what will have been one of the most significant history- and star-making years in mixed martial arts chronicle.
On Feb. 23, Rousey defeated Liz Carmouche to defend her UFC title in the first-ever UFC women’s bout, headlining UFC 157, an event in which Rousey fielded unprecedented media exposure for the bout. On Wednesday, “The Ultimate Fighter 18” debuts on Fox Sports 1, featuring Rousey and archrival Tate as opposing coaches and the first women to do so, leading a cast that features both male and female fighters in another first for the series.
As for the bout against Tate, it will be the UFC 168 co-main event with a middleweight title rematch between champion Chris Wiedman and former longtime titlist Anderson Silva headlining a card that some industry insiders are predicting could challenge the largest pay-per-view numbers in company history.
And of course, right now, Rousey is in the process of her first foray into acting as part of the cast of “The Expendables 3,” and is also reportedly set to be a part of the latest installment of another ultra-successful action series, “Fast and Furious.” Quite a year, indeed.