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Former UFC superstar Ronda Rousey was suddenly trending on Twitter in the United States on Friday, and it wasn’t because she’s making a UFC comeback. Instead, Rousey’s name was trending on social media after news broke that the 34-year-old Rousey’s great-grandfather was Dr. Alfred Waddell, one of the first Black physicians in North America.
While that isn’t exactly a new revelation (reports about Rousey’s heritage have been around since at least 2016), many people on the internet were just finding out about Rousey’s heritage for the first time.
There are all sorts of reactions on Twitter about the matter, so Heavy compiled the best ones for you to enjoy below.
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Best Reactions to Ronda Rousey’s Heritage
Some people were simply unprepared for such a revelation about Rousey. A user posted, “Ronda Rousey being Black is not news I was prepared for….”
Ronda Rousey being Black is not news I was prepared for 😂😂😂
Another user said, “Ronda Rousey being black is one of the most random things ever … Today is wild as hell….”
Not everyone accepted it completely.
But others did accept the news as it came to them.
All of us waking up finding out Ronda Rousey is black
Still, the overall message from the masses on social media tilted toward them being surprised.
Even Rousey had fun with it.
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WWE Fans React
The news about Rousey’s heritage also drew many responses from pro wrestling fans on social media.
Ronda Rousey when she returns to WWE:
Some argued that it made Rousey an important historical figure for her main event work at WrestleMania 35.
Others seemed to use the information as an excuse to post funny video clips and create memes.
Mostly, WWE fans stuck to creating comedy routines about Rousey’s heritage.
Ronda Rousey realizing she can now sing along to every single word in her workout playlist
More Reactions to Rousey
You can see more reactions to Rousey below.
Actor and comedian Michael Yo Simmons congratulated Rousey.
Like my dad said, if you’re one percent black in America….You 👏🏽Are 👏🏽Black👏🏽
Congrats Ronda Rousey 😂😂😂
Writer Dylan Park pulled out the old meme from 1987’s “Predator” film.
My girl @RondaRousey is black?
Finally, writer David Dennis Jr. couldn’t decide what to post and what not to post. So he posted, “I’ve written and deleted 5 different tweets about Ronda Rousey being Black and I’m gonna keep it that way lol.”
I’ve written and deleted 5 different tweets about Ronda Rousey being Black and I’m gonna keep it that way lol
Will Rousey Make Comeback to UFC?
It does not appear that Rousey is coming back to the UFC anytime soon. In fact, UFC President Dana White told the media earlier this week at one of the press events for UFC 260 that Rousey would never return.
“Absolutely, positively not coming back. Ever,” White said, per MMA Junkie.
You’ll never see Ronda Rousey back in the UFC
More: t.co/1aryGhYGlN
Still, Rousey remains one of the most popular, influential and important figures in MMA history.
She almost single-handedly helped raise the profile of MMA to acceptance amongst many mainstream sports fans, and her rapid rise during that important era ushered in a new wave of women superstars in combat sports.
Rousey hasn’t fought in the UFC since suffering a TKO loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 in December 2016. Still, she remains one of the most recognizable figures in UFC history, and that’s not something that will change anytime soon.
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