Kayla Harrison isn’t buying the Ronda Rousey comeback hype one bit—and she’s got some spicy words for it. Harrison took a brutal dig at Rousey’s win over Gina Carano, basically saying the real masterclass wasn’t inside the cage but in how ‘Rowdy’ sold the whole thing and walked away with a massive payday. And with the bantamweight champion gearing up to face Amanda Nunes at UFC 334 on November 14, the rivalry between the two decorated judokas is getting plenty of attention again.

Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Kayla Harrison admitted she was impressed by Ronda Rousey’s ability to sell her comeback, just not by the fight itself.

“I’m impressed with the ability that Ronda has to convince the world of absolute bulls— and then get paid royally for it. I am impressed by that,” she said.

When asked if she still wanted to see Rousey compete at a high level, the 36-year-old wasn’t having it. In her eyes, the comeback fight didn’t come close to qualifying.

“I don’t think it’s a high level,” she replied. “I don’t think you can call it that. I think that she creates the (competition) market, and she does a damn good job of it. I wish that I could spin bulls— the way she does. I’m impressed with that.”

Ronda Rousey didn’t exactly waste any time making her comeback count. Returning to MMA earlier this year after more than a decade away, she faced Gina Carano in the main event of an MVP MMA event and needed just 17 seconds to lock in an armbar and get the submission win.

The problem was that Carano hadn’t competed in nearly 17 years, giving Harrison plenty of reason to question just how impressive the matchup really was.

And business-wise, the comeback was a massive hit. The event reportedly pulled in $2.2 million in live-gate revenue, with 15,795 fans packing the Intuit Dome. Rousey also drew plenty of attention with her return, even while taking shots at the UFC for not backing the matchup.

But Harrison clearly isn’t confusing Ronda Rousey’s $2.2M payday with elite competition. And while she recognizes the impact ‘Rowdy’ had on women’s MMA, she’s not convinced that her latest win proves she can still hang with the best in the sport today.

Kayla Harrison questions Ronda Rousey’s legacy ahead of Amanda Nunes fight

Kayla Harrison’s criticism goes beyond the Carano matchup. During an appearance on the Deep Waters podcast, former UFC stars Dustin Poirier, Jorge Masvidal, and Chris Weidman asked the 36-year-old how a fight between her and ‘Rowdy’ would have played out in their primes.

“Like, Ronda in her prime vs me in my prime?” Harrison asked. “How do you think that would go?”

Weidman quickly jumped to Rousey’s defense, reminding everyone just how nasty her signature armbar was during her championship run.

“She had a sick armbar, though. Her armbars were ridiculous, though, come on,” he said.

But ‘Doug’ wasn’t about to give the 39-year-old that advantage. The two share a judo background, and Harrison made it clear she wasn’t buying the idea that Ronda Rousey could catch her with the same move.

“We learned the armbar at the same gym together. You think she’s gonna armbar me? Oh my goodness, don’t be disrespectful now, okay?” Harrison responded.

Harrison wasn’t done taking shots, either. She went after the experience level of Rousey’s early opponents, arguing that dominating women’s MMA back then wasn’t quite the same as beating today’s competition. Still, she gave ‘Rowdy’ credit for helping build the sport, even if she clearly isn’t buying into all the hype.

“Yes, she dominated women who picked up gloves three years ago at a cardio kickboxing class and said, ‘I think I’m gonna try this.’ Like, yeah, 100%, she paved the way; I’m standing on her shoulders, and for that I’m grateful. You’ve got to have the rival, someone to be your foe,” Harrison added.

Rousey won her first eight professional MMA fights by armbar, finishing most in the opening round. Her dominance helped bring women’s MMA into the spotlight and paved the way for the more well-rounded fighters who followed.

But her reign eventually came crashing down. Holly Holm knocked her out at UFC 193, and Amanda Nunes did the same at UFC 207. Both defeats exposed the problems ‘Rowdy’ faced when opponents could exploit her striking and keep her from dominating on the ground.

Kayla Harrison, meanwhile, has built quite a resume of her own. The two-time Olympic judo gold medalist has also become a UFC champion, putting her in the rare company of athletes like Henry Cejudo who have won Olympic gold and a UFC title.

And despite all the shots she’s taken, ‘Doug’ has never completely dismissed what Ronda Rousey did for the sport. Harrison has credited Rousey with opening doors for the next generation. Their disagreement comes down to whether Rousey’s dominance over her era’s competition should be measured against the standards of today’s fighters.

A fight between the two could have settled that argument inside the cage, but don’t hold your breath. Rousey has described her bout with Carano as a one-off appearance and indicated that she wants to return to private life and focus on her family.

‘Doug,’ on the other hand, has her own business to handle. After neck surgery kept her out of action, she’s preparing to return against Nunes on November 14. It’s a huge test for Kayla Harrison as she looks to pick up where she left off against one of the most accomplished fighters in women’s MMA.

For now, the Rousey-Harrison showdown exists only in words. Harrison can appreciate the legacy Rousey built while still questioning whether that 17-second win over Carano deserves to be called elite competition. And judging by her latest comments, she’s nowhere near backing down.