NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – The former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey kept her promise to attend the Marine Corps Ball on Friday night, December 11, with Jarrod Haschert.
Jarrod is a South Carolina marine who asked her to accompany him through a Facebook video that went viral since he posted it on August. A few weeks ago Ronda had said she would go if Haschert found dates for her three girlfriends. The event was held at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor.
“You are my celebrity crush. I love everything you do, and I think you are a phenomenal person. Which is why it would be my honor to take you to the Marine Corps Ball on December 11”, Jarrod said in his Facebook video, which quickly reached more than four million views. “I hope you take this in consideration because, if you do, you will truly be making my dream come true.”
The marine Lance Cpl. Haschert mentioned he hoped Rousey’s training for her next fight in January didn’t stop her from attending the ball, but that wasn’t really a problem. The fight against Holly Holm was originally scheduled for Jan. 2, but when it was moved up to Nov. 14 she knew she would be able to go and told TMZ she was totally up for the ball, as long as the serviceman could round up her three single friends.
However, after that declaration she made in September Haschert didn’t hear from her anymore and her mother told New Jersey 101.5 he would still go with the hopes she would be there. The thing is Ronda was trying to keep the media away from the story, but as she was headed to the airport on Friday morning to catch a flight to meet Jarrod, TMZ caught up with her and got to ask her if she was actually going to keep her promise.
“I promised I’d go,” Ronda told TMZ. “It’s an honor to be asked. Honestly, I probably would stay on my couch crying and eating ice cream for like another month if he didn’t ask me to go.”
It was her first public appearance in weeks. Ronda was having a really bad time after she lost her Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight belt in November. Holly Holm left her unconscious with a massive kick to the head, which was a surprise to many because Rousey had won three fights in a row in just a little more than a minute combined. She was taken to a local hospital as a precaution.
A source close to the martial arts star told ESPN that after the decisive fight she never changed her mind about meeting Jarrod because she took very seriously the promise she had made to a marine.
Source: CNN