Gene LeBell Calls Ronda Rousey ‘A Sadistic Wench’ (But, You Know, In a Good Way)

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Gene LeBell knows Ronda Rousey well. The 80-year-old martial arts icon has been aware of Rousey since her earliest days in judo and, along with Gokor Chivichyan, has been training the UFC women’s champion for the entirety of her MMA career.

So, one would think “Judo Gene” knows what he’s talking about when he discusses the possibility of nerves in Rousey’s upcoming UFC debut against Liz Carmouche, as he did in a recent interview with Fighters.com. And one would assume that when LeBell calls Rousey “a sadistic wench,” he means it in the nicest possible way.

LeBell jokes that coaching Rousey is easy because it only requires him to utter three words: “Break her arm.”

He concedes that Carmouche will prove to be a “a very, very strong opponent” with a “heart that won’t stop.” Then, unable to resist a wisecrack, he adds that Carmouche “should give a good fight for about 30 seconds.”

The secret to Rousey’s winning ways, LeBell says, has more to do with her mindset than her physical attributes.

“Nothing bothers her,” he says. “She’s got icewater running in her veins. She doesn’t give a damn about pressure. She’s a sadistic wench.”

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