Ronda Rousey Can 'Shatter' Boxing Pay-Per-View Records, Says Oscar De La Hoya

Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya has backed UFC sensation Ronda Rousey to smash pay-per-view records should she ever try her hand at the sweet science.

Rousey’s bout with Holly Holm will headline UFC 193 on Sunday in Melbourne, a spectacle which is expected draw in the biggest attendance ever for the brand, per Martin Rogers of USA Today. Former six-weight world champion De La Hoya thinks should the bantamweight champion ever trade the Octagon for the ring, she’d have similar success, per BoxingScene.com: 

"

Ronda Rousey is the hottest athlete right now. She's the 'It Girl'. The fact is that she wants to be a world champion in boxing, she’s mentioned it. She wants to try it out. When Ronda Rousey is ready to become a boxer, I told her Golden Boy Promotions is ready to welcome her with open arms.

I’ve spoken with her a few times, she’s interested in becoming a boxer. If the UFC ever gives her permission, we're here. Maybe some collaboration. It would be very interesting. We can shatter records. I can imagine four million pay-per-views for Ronda’s very first fight.

"

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Should Holm suffer the same fate as Rousey’s previous four opponents, who were all taken out in the first round, perhaps the champion will begin to weigh up other options. After all, she has been so dominant in the division, beaten all the major contenders and done so with a consummate ease.

Bleacher Report’s MMA expert Jonathan Snowden was a little concerned for the champion as she took to the scales ahead of her bout with Holm, though:

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Rousey didn't look good physically or emotionally. Feel bad for her to be honest. I've been in rough places too. #UFC193

— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) November 13, 2015"

Before taking on any new challenges, a break is surely in order for the 28-year-old; this fight against Holm will be third in the space of nine months. 

Despite her bouts not lasting long, the physical and mental duress that accompanies the preparations for these showpieces, not to mention the unyielding media scrutiny, will have taken their toll. Encouragingly, Rousey told Mike Bohn of Rolling Stone she’ll be taking some time off from the sport after UFC 193. 

Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

Although it’s not her strongest attribute, Rousey has improved her upright work inside the Octagon a lot recently. It is something that will be put to the test against Holm, a former world champion boxer. The power to deliver knockout punches is certainly there, though, as Bethe Correia found out to her peril in Rousey’s previous fight, per BT Sport UFC:

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Just like that! @RondaRousey KOs Bethe Correia in 34 seconds. #UFC190 http://t.co/dJBpIqWVLS

— BT Sport UFC (@btsportufc) August 2, 2015"

There are some signs Rousey may be considering switching sports to boxing, perhaps the most notable being her appearance on the cover of the sport’s iconic magazine, Ring, with the tagline “She conquered MMA. Is boxing next?” per Bleacher Report UK:

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Ronda Rousey has become the first MMA fighter in history to make the cover of Ring Magazine pic.twitter.com/bXPJEDlXkk

— Bleacher Report UK (@br_uk) October 27, 2015"

There was also some fanciful speculation over Rousey potentially squaring off against retired fighter Floyd Mayweather earlier in the year after a war of words between the two, per Reddit (h/t ESPN). De La Hoya told Bleacher Report he thinks there would only be one winner should that tussle ever materialise:

Rousey’s reputation would certainly ensure she was a draw should she trade the Octagon for the ring. Even so, De La Hoya’s claim that the UFC star could draw four million pay-per-view buys seems a little fanciful. As noted by Mookie Alexander of Bloody Elbow, that’d be the second highest-grossing boxing bout of all time after Mayweather’s showdown with Manny Pacquiao.

A shift from MMA to boxing wouldn’t be seamless either. Although Rousey is a capable striker, she’s from a judo background and therefore, unlikely to be well versed in the minutiae of the sweet science. The two disciplines are both combat sports, but that’s were the similarity ends, meaning the UFC’s biggest name has a lot of work to do if she’s to reach a similar standing in boxing.