UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson says MMA star Ronda Rousey needs to "grow up" after her recent defeats with the promotion.
The former women's bantamweight champion was dethroned by Holly Holm in 2015 and took a year out of the sport and away from the media.
As a figurehead of women's MMA, many wondered if she would return to the cage after a prolonged break. She faced Amanda Nunes last December in her first fight in over a year, but was knocked in just 48 seconds.
Speaking to Sports Illustrated this week, Johnson told Jon Wertheim that she needed to move on from her defeats.
"You look at Ronda Rousey," he said. "You got your ass beat, grow the f**k up. It happens. It's mixed martial arts. I don't want to be like that. If I lose, I'll be like, I lost.
"Yeah, everybody has. Everybody f**king loses. It's part of the sport. Grow up. Look, Ronda, you lost two f**king fights in a row, and you made more f**king money than the women's roster. You'll be fine, don't worry about it."
Johnson recently tied the record for most title defences for a fighter currently active in the UFC. His submission victory over Wilson Reis last month drew him level with Anderson Silva with 10 title defences.
Johnson explained that defeat was a natural part of the sport, especially in mixed martial arts where the margins can be so fine.
He admits that he has thought about losing during his reign as champion.
"You know, people say, I visualize myself at this point. I visualize myself losing most of the time just because I've seen so many champions lose, and they don't know how to take it. Their whole world is upside down Oh, my God, what am I going to do?"
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