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“14 Seconds” – Dana White Once Gave Muhammad Ali’s Daughter, Laila, a Savage Ultimatum After Ronda Rousey Mockery

Published 11/05/2022, 10:15 AM EDT

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Hypothetical fights and hypes have become the foundation of many fan-favorite matches. Although the fire dimmed fast, the hypothetical fight between Ronda Rousey and Laila Ali took hold of every fan’s attention back in 2015. However, Dana White believed otherwise.

Following Ali’s comments that she could beat Ronda Rousey, White claimed that it would not be an interesting fight. He believed Rousey would grab an instant win if the fight actually happened.

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Back in 2015, TMZ approached Muhammed Ali’s daughter, Laila Ali. When the crew asked for her opinion of a hypothetical bout against Ronda Rousey, Ali told them no woman could beat her. “That’s like a question I’m not even going to answer because for one, I’m not a UFC fighter, she’s not a boxer. And no woman can beat me. Period”, claimed Ali. Nonetheless, TMZ pressed on asking, “Not even Ronda?” Ali replied, “Of course not. She’s too much smaller than me anyway.” 

Dana White believed Ronda Rousey could easily defeat Laila Ali

However, the UFC president, Dana White, didn’t seem to approve of Ali’s claims. Although he was willing to organize the match, he was doubtful of it being entertaining enough. He said, “[Rousey is] actually the best fighter in the world.” Additionally, he told the TMZ crew that Ali would in fact face trouble if she landed against ‘Rowdy’. “Laila Ali would be in big trouble against Ronda Rousey. Laila if you’re serious, call me. If she wants it, she’ll get it”, said White.

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Furthermore, when White was asked about the happenings of the hypothetical fight, he revealed his belief in Rousey’s strength. “No disrespect to Lala, but you know she’d be in the 14-second range. I know so” he said. White referred to Rousey’s fight with Alexis Davis and Cat Zingano. She defeated both of the fighters in under 20 seconds.

Ronda Rousey’s opinion on the hypothetical fight against Laila Ali

TMZ also approached the UFC Bantamweight female champion for her opinion on Ali’s claims. “Honestly, I think I can beat them all in boxing, too”, said ‘Rowdy’. However, she was in the mood for appreciating the thought processes of the champions.

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She regarded Laila Ali’s claims with nothing but praise. “A lot of people take offense by the mindset that it takes to be the best in the world. Just because I think I could be the best in the world in anything, that’s not offending anyone. I wasn’t insulted by Laila Ali’s thinking that she could beat me. She’s a world champion boxer. That’s the way she has to think,” said Rousey.

Then Rousey was questioned about her opinion of Ali’s comments about her being smaller than Ali. ‘Rowdy’ said that she hails from judo, where one is supposed to use an opponent’s strength and weight against them. “Actually, the stronger and bigger the person is, the harder they fall, literally”, claimed Rousey.

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Watch This Story: Ronda Rousey, Tom Aspinall, And Other Fighters Who Needed The Least Fight Time To Reach Five UFC Wins

What are your thoughts on the hypothetical bout between the boxing champion and the MMA champion? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Krushna Prasad Pattnaik

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Krushna Pattnaik is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. Coming from a pharmaceutical background with a master's degree in the same and multiple scientific publications, his passion for combat sports and writing brought him to EssentiallySports, where both of his passions met in a beautiful collaboration. He is an instrumentalist and has a profound love for books.
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Edited by:

Vineet Nandwana