EXCLUSIVE | Stephen Thompson blames coach Edmond for Ronda Rousey getting “crushed” at UFC 207

Prior to last month’s UFC 207 event, top UFC welterweight contender Stephen Thompson told BJPENN.com that Ronda Rousey was “going up against a monster” in Amanda Nunes.

“Wonderboy’s” theory certainly proved true, as “The Lioness” battered Rousey with punches on route to a 48-second TKO victory.

Thompson joined BJPENN.com’s Chris Taylor on Thursday’s edition of Rapid Fire where he discussed Ronda Rousey’s lopsided loss at UFC 207.

• So in our most recent interview this past December, you told me that Ronda Rousey was going to be fighting a “Monster” in Amanda Nunes at UFC 207. The fight certainly played out that way. Did you see the fight and were you at all shocked by how quickly Nunes was able to finish Rousey?

“I sure did. I was actually doing an appearance in Kansas City for Metro PCS. You know building up to the fight you could see it in her interviews and in her weigh in that Ronda she just was, I don’t know, I just think that she is not there. She is not there anymore. She wasn’t ready for this fight. I figured she would have lined up a warm-up fight before going up for the title, especially against a monster striker like Nunes. I think the UFC should have given her a warm up fight before the title shot for sure. I understand the UFC wants to build her up and that they want her to be at the top of the game as one of the highest paid athletes. And of course Ronda made a killing off of that fight financially for what was like 48-seconds of work. But she just got crushed man.”

Wonderboy continued:

“I knew that was going to happen because after the first strike, you know when Nunes hit her with the jab and her head just snapped back I was like ‘it is over’. Rousey didn’t even attempt to block it man. It was like there was zero attempts to block. She would see the punch coming and just get hit. There was no flinch of the hands to try and block the shot. I just knew that it was already over and she was going to get crushed.”

• For me what was most surprising is that there seemed to be no evolution in Ronda’s stand-up game. I mean her head coach is supposed to be a boxing specialist but I saw no head movement, no footwork and she was standing straight up and very stiff in her loss to Nunes. What was your take on all of that?

“Yea man it was like zero changes at all. It was almost like she had gotten worse since her fight with Holly Holm. From all that time she spent training after that fight with Holly, you should definitely see some changes going on in your striking you know. Unless, Ronda is not training like she should. I mean her weight cut seemed to be phenomenal. She looked very lean and fit but I don’t know man there was zero changes and no improvement whatsoever. If I was her coach and I had saw that in the gym. If I saw there was no improvement then I would not have thrown her out there. I would have said ‘no way are you fighting’. And honestly that is her coaches fault. He should have known where she was at mentally. Where she is at physically and could have gone from there you know. I mean that is just from what I have experienced with my coaches. From my Dad, to Ray Longo to Firas Zahabi, those guys can look at you physically and see how you are mentally and decide whether or not you are ready to go out there and fight. If I was her coach I would not have let her jump in and fight for the title. I would have got her to fight somebody lower ranked than that and see what happens with that and go from there. I don’t think Edmond is doing what he is supposed to be doing as her head coach.”

• Do you think it would be best for Ronda Rousey to switch up her fight camp and coaches?

“Yea for sure. I mean if it was me, I would have spent that time looking at others gyms, training at other gyms and seeing which ones best fit me and go from there. Her head coach should not only have allowed that but encouraged that. You know my coaches now and in the past, Ray, Firas, Greg Jackson, they allow us to go to other gyms so that we can get different looks and different coaching. Because if you stay in one spot forever, yes you will start to understand all of the talent that you surround yourself with, but you won’t get any better than you are because you are only seeing them everyday and only competing against them everyday. You will figure their games out and what they like to do and it will become stale.  So you need to go to other gyms that you feel comfortable at, with guys who will take care of you, and spar with different opponents who will give you new and different looks. Clearly that is what Ronda needs to do.”