The highly anticipated arrival of Pokémon Champions on April 8th has reignited a lively discussion among combat sports aficionados: who truly holds the title of the UFC’s most dedicated Pokémon fan, and can anyone surpass Ronda Rousey’s extensively documented passion for the franchise?
Pokémon Champions: A New Era of Battles
Scheduled for release on April 8, 2026, for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, Pokémon Champions is a new title focused intensely on competitive battling. Adopting a free-to-start model, similar to Pokémon Unite, the game builds upon fundamental mechanics such as type advantages, unique Abilities, and constructing six-Pokémon teams for Single and Double Battles. It will offer ranked, casual, and private online multiplayer modes, alongside optional paid bundles and a premium battle pass.
A launch-day update is planned to enhance visual fidelity on the Nintendo Switch 2, and Pokémon Champions is set to become the official platform for Video Game Championships events starting in 2026.
This strategic and competitive battling game is structured around the familiar turn-based Pokémon battle system. Players will assemble teams and issue commands in Single and Double Battles, utilizing types, Abilities, and moves much like in the main series RPGs. The core emphasis is on online player-versus-player competition, featuring Ranked, Casual, and Private Battles, rather than the arcade-style 1v1 combat found in games like Street Fighter or Tekken. Players can recruit or import Pokémon, fine-tune their stats and moves using in-game currency, and then climb online leaderboards, including formats linked to the official Pokémon World Championships.
Ronda Rousey’s Lifelong Devotion
Ronda Rousey’s history with Pokémon runs far deeper than a mere passing interest, which is why many consider her the prime candidate for the UFC’s biggest Pokémon fan. In a 2015 Reddit AMA, she confessed that as a teenager, she moderated a Pokémon Stadium 2 forum on GameTalk under the username “mew182,” openly describing herself as a “big-time Pokémon nerd.”
Mew has long been her declared favorite Pokémon, and she has engaged in intricate discussions about hypothetical matchups, even debating the tactical choice between facing a Mew-sized Mewtwo or 100 Mewtwo-sized Mews, wisely opting for the single Mew-sized Mewtwo. Rousey has also playfully discussed how her signature armbar technique might interact with Pokémon like Throh, the Judo Pokémon, showcasing a level of detailed engagement with specific moves, types, and characters that extends well beyond casual appreciation.
Brandon Moreno and the Collector’s Wave
In contrast, Mexico’s former flyweight champion, Brandon Moreno, has emerged as the modern face of Pokémon within MMA, primarily recognized for his extensive collection of cards and memorabilia. In various podcast appearances, Moreno has spoken about his serious dedication to buying and trading Pokémon cards, presenting himself as a committed collector outside the octagon.
He often dedicates his leisure time to hunting for rare pulls and discussing his favorite cards, which gives him a different fan profile from Rousey. Moreno’s passion leans heavily into the physical trading card aspect of the franchise, rather than the online forum culture that defined much of Rousey’s early fandom.
Ultimately, Rousey’s depth of involvement truly sets her apart: her teenage years spent moderating a Pokémon forum, her use of a Pokémon-themed handle, her detailed discussions of specific monsters and hypothetical battles, and her enduring reputation years later as “Pokémon-obsessed.” While Moreno’s card collecting and media presence make him a prominent figure in the current era of Pokémon enthusiasm, the profound and early-internet nature of Rousey’s fandom grants her a stronger historical claim to being the UFC’s ultimate Pokémon fan.
With Pokémon Champions poised to introduce competitive battling in a new format, the existing bond between the franchise and MMA culture appears destined for further growth.
