UPDATE: Ronda Rousey defends her title with a 34 second knockout of the previously undefeated Bethe Correia, invoking memories of a young Mike Tyson. 

Former Olympic judo medalist Ronda Rousey is the most dominating fighter in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the world’s most preeminent mixed martial arts (mma) promotional company in the world. “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey is a true superstar that has both elevated and transcended her sport as she can headline UFC fighting events, like UFC 190 tomorrow in Brazil, and appear in movies like the Expendables 3 and Entourage. At one time, UFC President Dana White declared that we would “never” see women fight in the UFC; but then he met Ronda Rousey and sports history was changed forever. Rousey won the ESPN “Best Fighter” ESPY, over her male counterparts in both mma and boxing. Her accolades are well deserved as she is undefeated and has never let any of her bouts go the distance; her last two fights have lasted a combined 30 seconds. While the UFC champion has gained notoriety, most of her fans probably don’t know that Ronda Rousey eats hemp seeds for breakfast almost every morning.

As Rousey trains for her title defense against the also undefeated Bethe Correia, in the challenger’s home country of Brazil, ESPN gained all access to her training and the champ stated that her breakfast routine consists of two tablespoons of hemp seeds. The judo extraordinaire explained that her structure diet has been one of the biggest differences between her professional and amateur career. Rowdy provided Hardbody.com with her meal and training regimen:

Ronda Rousey Diet:
8:00 am: Two teaspoons oat bran, two teaspoons chia seeds, two teaspoons hemp seeds
10:00 am: Train
11:45 am: Post-exercise smoothie
12:00 pm: Farmer’s scramble: one whole egg, plus two egg whites, two sides of turkey bacon
4:00 pm: Snack: one apple, one-fourth cup raw almonds, one-fourth cup raw cashews
6:00 pm: Train – Post-exercise smoothie, da, da, da.
Before bed: Chamomile tea.

The industrial and nutritional benefits of hemp have gotten more and more attention recently as the public has become educated about hemp. While recent legislation has led to hemp being planted in Kentucky, Colorado and Oregon, federal law, steeped in Reefer Madness propaganda that links industrial hemp to marijuana (the two plants are cannabis cousins, so to speak, but hemp doesn’t have the same psychoactive qualities of marijuana) has prevented American farmers from cultivating this sustainable, profitable crop. Unfortunately, the $300 million dollar U.S. hemp market is sending much-needed revenue overseas to China, Canada, South Korea and Russia instead of helping U.S. farmers. Hopefully, as even more people become aware of hemp’s benefits and properties, our politicians will finally legalize this important crop for widespread production. The worldwide market for hemp consists of more than 25,000 products and we literally know that hemp is the breakfast of champions. I was already a big fan of Ronda Rousey, but knowing that she is fueled by hemp seeds, I even like her a little bit more.

Anthony Johnson

Anthony, a longtime cannabis law reform advocate, was Chief Petitioner and co-author of Measure 91, Oregon's cannabis legalization effort. He served as director of both the New Approach Oregon and Vote Yes on 91 PACs, the political action committees responsible for the state's legalization campaign. As director of New Approach Oregon, Anthony continues to work towards effectively implementing the cannabis legalization system while protecting small business owners and the rights of patients. He sits on the Oregon Marijuana Rules Advisory Committee and fights for sensible rules at the legislature as well as city councils and county commissions across the state. Anthony helps cannabis business comply with Oregon's laws and advises advocates across the country. He also serves as content director of both the International Cannabis Business Conference and the Oregon Marijuana Business Conference, helping share the vision of moving the cannabis industry forward in a way that maintains the focus on keeping people out of prison and protecting patients. He was a member of the Oregon Health Authority Rules Advisory Committee, assisting the drafting of the administrative rules governing Oregon’s state-licensed medical marijuana facilities. He first co-authored and helped pass successful marijuana law reform measures while a law student at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law. He passed the Oregon Bar in 2005 and practiced criminal defense for two years before transitioning to working full-time in the political advocacy realm. His blogs on Marijuana Politics are personal in nature and don't speak for or reflect the opinions of any group or organization.