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Ronda Rousey's response to Laila Ali: 'I’m around' if Ali wants to fight

Ronda Rousey's response to Laila Ali: 'I’m around' if Ali wants to fight

The ‘who wants to fight Ronda Rousey next’ sweepstakes is getting out of control.

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After being called out by a former NFL-er, some mid-level UFC contenders (both men, and women) and seemingly every able-bodied human being on the planet, now a former boxing great is throwing her name into the mix when discussing Rousey.

And, hey, would you look at that: it’s actually a woman this time.

Female boxing champion Laila Ali, daughter of all-time great Muhammad Ali and the first woman to ever headline a PPV, said to TMZ, ‘of course I can beat Rousey ... she’s the size of my 3-year-old.’

It seems everyone has been asked about whether or not they can take "Rowdy" in a scrap (to clear the air: no, I do not want any part of Ronda Rousey). But the fact that someone with the last name ‘Ali’ mentioned Rousey was sure to garner some attention.

Laila Ali poses with her father, Muhammad Ali, after a win in 2005. (Getty)
Laila Ali poses with her father, Muhammad Ali, after a win in 2005. (Getty)

Rousey, coming off her recent annihilation of Cat Zingano in just 14 seconds back in February, doesn't respond to every single challenge she receives. However, when the daughter of a legend like Ali came knocking, apparently Rousey felt compelled to respond:

“If she wants to take me up on that, I’m around,” Rousey told The Daily Beast. “She’s retired and has several kids. I understand why she’d think that because she has a size advantage, but if you saw my last fight it had nothing to do with size or strength at all. That’s not how I beat people. So you can’t count having a size and strength advantage as having a real advantage against me.”

Rousey (11-0) is undefeated with 10 of 11 victories coming in the first round. Her last two championship fights were finished in 30 seconds – combined. She is as dominant a champion as the sport of MMA has ever seen. Ali, to the best of our knowledge, has zero MMA experience. So, if she truly believes that she could take on the rowdy one, the 37-year-old veteran must know something that Rousey’s 11 victims didn't.

Or, maybe it’s just that famous Ali confidence shining through in the new millennium.