'I could rob a liquor store with my bare hands': Ronda Rousey celebrates her tough physique - and shows it off - as she poses in a swimsuit on the cover of Self

  • The 28-year-old bantamweight champ poses in a red bikini on the front of the latest issue
  • She says that she wants to be mentioned alongside greats like Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, without 'woman' being a qualifier for 'champion'
  • She also remarked that she has the body of a 'ninja' and could probably rob a liquor store with her bare hands 

By Carly Stern For Dailymail.com

Published: 11:38 EST, 20 October 2015 | Updated: 15:10 EST, 20 October 2015

With her strict diet and UFC training schedule, Ronda Rousey has worked really hard for her body - and now she's showing it off on the cover of Self magazine.

The 28-year-old bantamweight champion posed for the healthy lifestyle publication in a bright red two-piece which perfectly highlighted the enviable abs, toned arms, and muscular legs that have put her at the top of her sport.

'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,' she told Self.

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Work it: UFC champion Ronda Rousey stars on the cover of the current issue of Self magazine

Work it: UFC champion Ronda Rousey stars on the cover of the current issue of Self magazine

Making money: The 28-year-old bantamweight titleholder opened up about being the top-paid fighter in the UFC

Making money: The 28-year-old bantamweight titleholder opened up about being the top-paid fighter in the UFC

Showing it off: Ronda, who usually dresses down when she's not at a press event, posed in several sexy swimsuits for the magazine

Showing it off: Ronda, who usually dresses down when she's not at a press event, posed in several sexy swimsuits for the magazine

The blonde stunner certainly sizzles in her red-hot swimsuit on the front of the magazine, but it's obviously not just her body that's turned her into a household name.

Ronda is now the highest-paid athlete in the UFC with an income of $6.5 million in the past year, according to Forbes - that's above other women, like her former opponent Beth Correia, and even other men, like her boyfriend Travis Browne.

But that doesn't mean she's about to grow complacent with where she stands. 

In fact, she says it actually inspires her to keep on achieving, saying: 'It’s motivating, because it’s something I have to keep earning.'

Tough chick: She said that she likes feeling like she has the body of a ninja and could 'rob a liquor store with her bare hands' if she felt so inclined

Tough chick: She said that she likes feeling like she has the body of a ninja and could 'rob a liquor store with her bare hands' if she felt so inclined

Serious cash: Ronda earned about $6.5 million in the past year from fights and endorsement deals

Serious cash: Ronda earned about $6.5 million in the past year from fights and endorsement deals

Quite the pair: Ronda is currently dating fellow UFC fighter Travis Browne (right)

Quite the pair: Ronda is currently dating fellow UFC fighter Travis Browne (right)

And not only does she feel the need to keep earning her top spot - including by winning her upcoming fight against boxer Holly Holm in Australia on November 14 - but she also feels the need to continue to fight for equality for women.

'I want my name to be mentioned along with Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali,' she said. 'And I don’t want the word "woman" to be in front of "champion".'

So Ronda keeps hustling. 

In addition to following the nutrient-rich Dolce Diet and hitting the gym to stay in fighting shape, she rakes in cash with endorsements for Carl's Jr., Reebok, Metro PCS, and more. 

The greatest: She hopes, though, that people will soon mention her name when they talk about Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali

The greatest: She hopes, though, that people will soon mention her name when they talk about Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali

Subtle sexism: Despite all of her success, people still often put the word 'woman' in front of champion when describing her
Subtle sexism: Despite all of her success, people still often put the word 'woman' in front of champion when describing her

Subtle sexism: Despite all of her success, people still often put the word 'woman' in front of champion when describing her

In her interview, Ronda also recalled how she started going head-to-head with males as far back as her teens.

Her mom would give her $5 for lunch each day - but if she spent it on food, she wouldn't have enough money for an after-school Frappuccino. And Ronda loved Frappuccinos.

So she would bet other kids at school $10 that she could beat them up, and a few boys would always take her up on the challenge.

'We’d fight and I’d do something to get them to give up, and they’d give us $10 and we’d go get Frappuccinos…. That was, like, my side gig for a little while,' she said. 

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