Ronda Rousey news: MMA champion graces the cover of Self Magazine; likens her body to a ninja's

Ronda Rousey continues to inspire as she graces the cover SELF's November issue clad in a form-fitting red swimsuit that shows off her super toned, svelte, gorgeous body. The 28-year-old Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) athlete, who once made a record of beating her opponent in just 14 seconds, spoke up about her career goals, body image, and her love for chicken wings.

People reports that according to Rousey, who was once criticized for looking too manly (she shut down her shamers by replying that every muscle in her body served a purpose, which did not include attracting male attention), "I would love to be considered a figure of social change."

She explained, "I want to see the standards that women hold themselves to change. In terms of looks, I feel like we’re given an impossible standard to live up to. It should be more diverse and show that every single woman can attain an attractive body just by being as healthy as possible. I don’t think that’s an impossible goal."

Rousey herself has found a good relationship with her body, claiming that "I’ve learned to appreciate all the forms [my body] can take. I love feeling like I’m inhabiting the body of a ninja — like I could rob a liquor store with my bare hands if I wanted to — but I also like when I eat a little more, fill out and get a little bit curvier. I feel more feminine."

Nonetheless, the UFC champion admits that after a fight, she enjoys indulging in her favorite food — hot wings. She told SELF, "I eat about 50 hot wings. I love hot wings. After my last fight, one of the UFC owners flew in a private chef from São Paulo to Rio de Janeiro so that he could make me hot wings, because there are no hot wings in Rio! That’s how important they are to me."

Rousey, who is now a multi-hyphenate thanks to her roles in Furious 7, Entourage, and the much anticipated re-imagining of Road House, is now a best-selling author of My Fight/Your Fight, a memoir she wrote about her journey so far. SELF reveals that her journey involved a speech impediment she suffered as a child and the passing of her father when she was just 8 years old.

Forbes reports that Rousey ranks as the eight highest paid female athletes of the year. When asked about unequal pay between genders (a similar issue in Hollywood today), she responded, "I think that how much you get paid should have something to do with how much you bring in."

In SELF, Rousey is shown sporting a sexy one-piece black swimsuit in another set of photos, showing off her fit, toned body. The fighter admitted that one of her dreams is that "I want my name to be mentioned along with Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali," and as an ally of feminists, "I don’t want the word woman to be in front of champion."

Read Rousey's interview with comedian Chelsea Peretti over at SELF.