Ronda Rousey has become a controversial star ever since announcing her return to mixed martial arts (MMA) this weekend on Netflix, but the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) legend may have crossed the line with her recent comments about Khamzat Chimaev and his “cleft lip.”
This wouldn’t be the first time Chimaev’s “rat lip” has been mentioned by a fellow fighter.
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Rousey’s long-awaited return to competition will finally unfold tomorrow night (Sat., May 16, 2026) LIVE on Netflix from inside the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, Calif., when “Rowdy” meets fellow women’s MMA pioneer, Gina Carano, in the main event. It’s expected to be a massive spectacle for Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), which will include appearances from former UFC stars like Nate Diaz, Francis Ngannou, and Mike Perry.
Of course, Rousey is the star attraction. The former UFC women’s bantamweight champion is making her first combat appearance since losing to Amanda Nunes nearly 10 years ago. Rousey’s layoff and ongoing appeal to casual fight fans everywhere should funnel a hoard of watchers to Netflix on Saturday night. In turn, Rousey has experienced media exposure like she used to under the UFC banner, but that isn’t always a good thing.
Rousey now finds herself in some hot water after taking shots at Chimaev, who just lost his UFC middleweight title to Sean Strickland at UFC 328. Chimaev was asked about Rousey’s matchup with Carano before his title fight with Strickland and didn’t have too many nice things to say. This left Rousey enraged, which resulted in an insensitive outburst during Thursday’s pre-fight press conference (watch HERE).
“F—king cleft lip Lincoln is just hating,” said Rousey about Khamzat. “No one gives a s—t about his ineffectual wrestle f—kfests. Unlike Kumquat, I have 100% finish rate.”
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Of course, this didn’t sit well with many people around the sport given Rousey’s attack on Chimaev’s physical ailment. One of the biggest current stars in women’s MMA, PFL flyweight queen Dakota Ditcheva, was one of many who voiced her concern over Rousey’s comments and essentially threw her fandom away.
Check it out below and let us know if your view of Rousey changed after her recent comments!
“Ronda’s ‘s comment towards Chimaev regarding his cleft palate was absolutely disgraceful,” wrote Ditcheva. “I am no longer a fan. As a mother, you should know better. The amount of young children navigating difficulties like that while you sit on a worldwide stage mocking it. Do better.”
“For all my twitter trolls lol,” Ditcheva later wrote. “As a young woman & fighter, I have always looked up to Ronda & been inspired by her. Without being disrespectful, Chimaev, Sean and Jon were never my role models & not people I looked up to. I simply appreciate their skills in the cage.”
