Sydney Sweeney has named arguably women’s MMA’s most important name as her favorite fighter in UFC history.
The Hollywood star is known to be a fight fan, and was even spotted at cageside for Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo’s fight in Newark at UFC 288 in 2023. She is even set to star as women’s boxing icon Christy Martin in a new film.
During a recent video in which she spoke to Nelk Boys founder Kyle Forgeard, Sweeney revealed that her favorite fighter is a UFC legend who brought women’s MMA to the forefront.
Sydney Sweeney names Ronda Rousey as favorite UFC fighter of all time
In their latest video, Kyle Forgeard and his pals from the Nelk Boys headed to Ireland for St Patrick’s Day to party with UFC legend Conor McGregor. At one point during the trip, Forgeard ran into Sydney Sweeney’s cousin, who was able to get the pair on Facetime for a brief chat.
There, he asked her about her interest in fights and for a top selection of fighters. She noted that she “hasn’t been to that many fights,” and that she “needs to go to more,” before naming Ronda Rousey as her personal favorite.
She even told a story of the pair meeting up, adding: “I’ve always been a fan of Ronda, I actually got to hang out with Ronda and go to lunch with her it was f—ing crazy.” When Forgeard noted that Rousey “put women’s MMA on the map,” Sweeney agreed that she “really did”.
Sydney Sweeney is set to become boxer for new film role
Last year, it was confirmed that Sweeney had signed on to play Christy Martin in a biopic about her life, which is set to be released later this year. She got into training camp as if it were a legitimate fight, and has shown off footage and photos from the gym.
Martin won WBC gold in 2009 after a lengthy career that included legendary fights with Deirdre Gogarty, Holly Holm and Laila Ali among others. Now, she will be the subject of a film starring one of the world’s most recognisable actors.
“Over the past few months, I’ve been immersed in training to bring to life the story of an incredible woman – a true champion who fought battles both inside and outside the ring,” Sweeney wrote on Instagram last year.
“Her journey is a testament to resilience, strength, and hope, and I’m honored to step into her shoes to share her powerful story with you all.”
