Pacquiao says Rousey will beat Mayweather in MMA fight

MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao is so fond of UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey that he is picking her to defeat Floyd Mayweather if the two end up clashing in the octagon.

Pacquiao, who on Thursday had a packed media schedule to promote his megabuck showdown with Mayweather on May 2, dropped by ESPNS’s His and Hers, where a conversation about Rousey came up.

"She's strong enough," the Filipino icon said of Rousey, who is undefeated in 11 fights, nine of which came by way of submission.

Rousey likewise proclaimed herself as a huge fan of Pacquiao, even rooting for the fighting congressman against Mayweather. The MMA star earlier said she will use a portion of her earnings from her latest fight with Cat Zingano to buy an expensive ticket to the Mayweather-Pacquiao tussle at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

There’s no need for that though, as Top Rank chief Bob Arum – also a huge Rousey fan – promised to give Rousey a precious ticket to the fight.

Pacquiao, for his part, believes Rousey is so good in the octagon that she will emerge victorious against the similarly unbeaten Mayweather in an MMA bout.

“She's strong. She's strong enough to beat Floyd Mayweather in MMA,” he said.

Rousey registered most of her UFC wins via her signature armbar. She impressively submitted Zingano with such move in just 14 seconds to retain her title at UFC 184 last March 1.