With Pokémon Champions Announced, Who is the UFC’s Ultimate Poké-Fan?

The upcoming launch of the new game Pokémon Champions on April 8th has reignited a fun question among fight fans: which UFC fighter is the most dedicated Pokémon enthusiast, and can anyone surpass Ronda Rousey's long-documented obsession?

Pokémon Champions: Game Overview

Pokémon Champions is a new battle-focused competitive title set to release on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 on April 8, 2026. It will adopt a "free-to-start" model, similar to Pokémon Unite. The game centers on core mechanics like types, abilities, and six-Pokémon teams in both Single and Double Battles. It will support ranked, casual, and private online modes, with optional paid bundles and a premium battle pass available. A launch-day update will enhance visuals for Nintendo Switch 2, and Champions is slated to become the primary platform for official Video Game Championships events in 2026. Essentially, it’s a strategic game built on the familiar turn-based Pokémon battle system, where players assemble teams, issue commands, and engage in PvP competitions, climbing leaderboards.

Ronda Rousey's Deep Pokémon Fandom

Ronda Rousey's history with Pokémon runs far deeper than a passing interest, which is why many consider her the top contender for the title of UFC’s greatest Pokémon fan. In a 2015 Reddit AMA, she confessed that as a teenager, she moderated a Pokémon Stadium 2 forum on GameTalk under the handle "mew182," describing herself as a "big-time Pokémon nerd." She named Mew as her favorite Pokémon and answered detailed hypothetical matchup questions, for instance, debating whether she would prefer to face a Mew-sized Mewtwo or 100 Mewtwo-sized Mews, ultimately choosing the single Mew-sized Mewtwo as the smarter fight. Rousey even joked about how her signature armbar would interact with Pokémon like Throh, the Judo Pokémon, demonstrating a level of engagement with specific moves, types, and characters that extends beyond casual appreciation.

Brandon Moreno: The Modern Collector

Former Mexican flyweight champion Brandon Moreno has become the modern face of Pokémon in MMA through his collection of cards and memorabilia. In podcast appearances, Moreno has spoken about a serious habit of buying and trading Pokémon cards, presenting himself as a committed collector outside the octagon. He spends his downtime hunting for rare pulls and discussing his favorite cards, which gives him a different profile from Rousey: his passion is more tied to the physical trading card game aspect of the franchise rather than early internet forum culture.

Conclusion: Who is the Ultimate Fan?

Nevertheless, Rousey truly stands apart: she moderated a Pokémon forum as a teenager, used a Pokémon-themed handle, discussed specific monsters and hypothetical battles, and years later is still referred to as "Pokémon-obsessed." While Moreno's card collecting and media presence make him a leading figure of the current era, the depth and early-internet nature of Rousey’s fandom give her a stronger historical claim to being the UFC's biggest Pokémon fan. With Pokémon Champions set to push competitive battling into a new format, the franchise's bond with MMA culture appears destined to grow.