Once elusive UFC fighter/Hollywood starlet Ronda Rousey is one of the most famous fighters in the world today.
Perhaps one of the few fighters more recognized than Rousey is Filipino boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao.
Pacquiao made inflammatory comments last week about the LGBT community when he stated gay people were “worse than animals.” A firestorm of negative press followed, resulting in Nike dropping Pacquiao from its prestigious roster of sponsored athletes.
Rousey, who apparently wasn’t caught up on current events, learned about Pacquiao’s comments from TMZ on Tuesday. “I understand that a lot of people use religion as a reason to be against gay people,” Rousey said, “but there was no ‘thou shall not be gay’; God never said that.”
The former women’s UFC bantamweight champ has never been one to lack an opinion. Rousey has talked openly in the past about her thoughts on social progress, 9/11, and endorsing presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders.
In regards to Pacquiao, Rousey brings up another progressive modern-day mind she shares a great deal of respect for: Pope Francis.
The pope has been increasingly vocal over the last few years about accepting gay people into the church. “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” the pope said in July 2013.
This type of rhetoric is something the 29-year-old Rousey agrees with wholeheartedly.
“I really think that our pope right now is boss,” Rousey said. “He was saying something the other day that religion should be all-encompassing and should be about welcoming everyone and loving everyone, and not leaving people out. And I think people take the wrong message sometimes.”
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