Ronda Rousey’s appearance at AEW Revolution was not just about standing in support of Marina Shafir during her first pay-per-view outing, it also marked a significant personal and professional moment for the former UFC and WWE star.

Speaking in a recent YouTube vlog, Rousey opened up about her close bond with Shafir and reflected on their shared journey from judo to MMA and eventually into professional wrestling. She spoke with pride about Shafir’s growth and the recognition she is now receiving.

“Marina is my best friend in the whole wide world and we grew up doing judo together as little kids. We both quit judo and started doing MMA and then we both quit MMA and started doing pro wrestling,” Rousey said. “She’s absolutely crushing it and I’m so proud of her. I’m so happy that everybody’s finally starting to take notice of how incredibly special she is.”

Rousey also revealed that AEW went to great lengths to keep her involvement under wraps ahead of the event, describing a covert arrival at the venue to avoid detection.

“I was brought into the arena in a very unique , I thought this was going to be much more chill like whatever kind of day, but they’re acting like it’s freaking Royal Rumble super secret whatever,” she said. “But they had me jump into a wheelchair and throw a tarp over me and wheel me in here.”

Discussing the overall atmosphere, Rousey compared AEW’s presentation to WWE, noting a more relaxed environment while still feeling familiar to her. She also admitted that her appearance carried a bit of rebellious intent toward TKO Group, the parent company of both WWE and UFC.

“I mean, it’s a little bit weird, but also familiar, but also it’s like AEW, so it’s nice. It’s a little bit more laidback. But actually, this is my first, I think, full-on AEW show because I only did Ring of Honor before,” Rousey said. “Like, I think I’ve been at the shows, but never really performing them. And Ring of Honor was kind of like a pre-taped, that was a smaller crowd. So, I’ve never been to an AEW pay-per-view, so I don’t really know what to expect so much, but I’m thinking a less restrictive, more adult version of WWE, which sounds like a good time.

“Those are all very good descriptions, I felt. So, yeah. And it’s kind of a cool little bit of a, like little bit of a ‘f*ck you’ to the TKO group, which is kind of funny because WWE is on Netflix, but I kind of figured it’d be easier to ask for forgiveness instead of permission on this one. Like, I’m promoting your show. It’s fine. We didn’t advertise it. It’s not like we boosted the ratings of it, so it should be fine.”

Rousey’s relationship with WWE has been strained since her departure in 2023, with the former champion publicly voicing frustrations about her time in the company and its leadership.

Looking ahead, Rousey is set to return to MMA competition for the first time in nearly a decade when she faces Gina Carano on May 16 in a fight scheduled to stream on Netflix. While her AEW appearance generated buzz, there are currently no indications that it will lead to a longer-term run with the promotion.