Ronda Rousey UFC 193 entourage sees Travis IN and her Mother OUT

The lead up to any major fight, for Ronda Rousey, is a whirlwind that comes with its own set of challenges whether that be in the form of a feisty opponent, media obligations and the like; however, over the last four weeks, it appears that distractions have come thick and fast for the reigning bantamweight champ as she finishes up her training camp for UFC 193.

MMA Latest understands that Ronda’s entourage for UFC 193 will not include her mother, who is normally by her side for every one of her fights. Instead, it appears that Travis Browne has made the trip to Melbourne. Travis was pictured training in Melbourne earlier today in a session that included Ronda’s coach Edmund Tarverdyan.

Despite being one of the most mentally adept fighters on the UFC’s roster, and brimming with self-confidence, one can’t help but wonder what the toll of these added pressures and interferences will be in the lead-up to the biggest fight of her career. Could this be the time to beat Ronda Rousey?

Let’s start from the beginning …

In late August, Dana White announced that Ronda Rousey v Holly Holm would be headlining UFC 193 in lieu of Robbie Lawler v Carlos Condit; Lawler had to withdraw due to injury. Since the announcement, UFC 193 has been primed to be the biggest event in the promotion’s history, and with Rousey at the helm, bold statements of breaking attendance records started to emerge. Whilst Rousey is no stranger to racking up big PPV numbers and ticket sales, this would be the first UFC event to be held in Melbourne, Australia and at a stadium no less.

“We’re going to beat that attendance record and I believe the Aussies are the one people in the whole world who appreciate a fight and will be able to make history,” Rousey stated at the UFC 193 press conference back in September.

It is obvious to anyone who has been following Rousey’s career over the last five years, that that if anyone were to break the attendance record, it would be her. Rousey’s crossover appeal is undeniable and the UFC will be keen to cash in on the casual fan’s appetite for a big event in a nation where Melbourne is known as the sporting capital. Some may argue that this is just business as usual for Rousey, when it comes to promoting a fight, but without the “bitchy” opponent to spur on the storyline and add to the entertainment value, it is obvious that Rousey has had to step up her game in terms of garnering the same level of interest with fans as her previous fights.

The additional media appearances, not just for the MMA world but for mainstream media as well, promotional tours and cover shoots would leave the best of people overwhelmed and burnt out; add to that the pressure of breaking records and being the biggest women’s main and co-main event in the history of combat sports, and that is a hefty load for one person to carry.

Then there’s the Travis Browne fiasco. Despite trying to keep her personal life, “personal”, Rousey’s relationship with Browne was recently confirmed by the UFC heavyweight, when he was a guest on The MMA Hour:

“Dating is for children,” Browne said. “Dating is for kids. Over the summer, through all the sh*t that I had to shuffle through, that I had to sift through, Ronda and I started talking throughout the summer and I’ll say now that we are together. She’s my woman and I’m her man. There’s no boyfriend, girlfriend stuff. There’s no dating. We’re together.”

Speculation had been circulating for months leading up to the admission, and whilst people will obviously be interested in Rousey’s love life, the added attention came about due to the controversy surrounding Browne and his now estranged wife, Jenna Renee Webb, after she accused him of domestic abuse. Rousey who is well known for her stance on domestic violence, received some hefty backlash from fans and the media alike, many calling her a hypocrite, despite Browne having been cleared of all charges.

Naturally, following confirmation from Rousey, that yes they are in fact a couple, the media has taken every opportunity to probe the UFC star on their relationship. It all came to a head however when Rousey dropped out of the UFC 193 media call last week, following technical difficulties, which coincidentally followed a question about Browne. Nevertheless, the relationship seems to be blossoming for the UFC couple, with Browne accompanying Rousey to Australia. Browne was spotted at a training session with Aussies Dan Kelly and Jake Matthews in Melbourne earlier today, as can be seen via Dan Kelly’s Instagram photo below. MMA Latest understand that Rousey’s mother will not be making the trek down under.

Dr. AnnMaria De Mars who is usually by her daughter’s side in the lead-up to, and during her fights, has made waves recently after putting Rousey’s coach Edmond Tarverdyan on blast. Rousey’s mother has never been one to mince words, and she didn’t make any exceptions when she spoke to LatiNation candidly about her dislike for Tarverdyan.

“I will tell you this. Every time I go in his gym, he used to say, ‘How are you?’ And I’d say, ‘How the f*ck do you think I am? I’m in your f*cking gym and I f*cking hate you!’ So now he doesn’t ask me how I am anymore.”

“Yes, you can say his name! Who the f*ck is he?! He’s not like the f*cking nameless one from Harry Potter! I hate that guy! He’s like the most worthless human being God ever put on this earth.”

The comments, however, appear to be the least of Tarverdyan’s worries after he claimed bankruptcy back in July with as much as $700,000 owing in debt. Whilst neither Rousey or Tarverdyan have commented on the situation with DeMars, or the bankruptcy for that matter, speculation is rising that Rousey may very well be looking for a new camp after the dust settles on UFC 193.

And last but not least, there’s that little matter of Rousey admitting that Holly Holm could very well be the champion.

“I don’t think she’d be comfortable with it (being the champ), I think it would take away from her quality of life, to be honest. It’s a skill I’m still learning.”

Holm naturally jumped all over Rousey’s statement, noting that the champ had already conceded that she could win.

“If she thinks about, if she’s basically saying ‘if I win,’ then she’s got that thought in her head already, so that’s awesome. So she’s saying with a win that I won’t be able to handle it, but with a win I’ll be able to handle anything. That’s what I care about. That’s the bottom line.”

Never in the history of Ronda Rousey competing has she ever even fathomed another human being becoming the champ, so why now?

Could there be a chink in the champs armor? Maybe, only time will tell. One thing is for certain, for every distraction and bump in the road that Ronda is experiencing, her confidence and assertiveness is rising in abundance for Holly Holm.

If there was ever a time to beat the Rowdy one, this may just be it.