As if she didn’t have enough on her plate heading into her UFC 190 main event title bout with Bethe Correia (9-0) tomorrow night, UFC women’s bantamweight champion ‘Rowdy’ Ronda Rousey (11-0) was met with some tragic news last night. The man she once so respectfully asked permission of to use his nickname, ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper, passed away due to cardiac arrest in his Hollywood home yesterday at age 61.

Rousey took to social media after hearing the news to make it clear that she will be dedicating her fight to the legendary kilted villain.

Thank you for the name…. And so much more…. Will do it justice and do you proud tomorrow…. This one’s for you Roddy….

Rousey, in true pro wrestling heel fashion, took a page right out of Piper’s book by requesting to fight her UFC 190 opponent on her home soil, going as far as to say that she “doesn’t just want to defeat her [Correia], she wants her to leave that arena embarrassed.”

Here’s a snippet from an interview Piper did with FightLand where he talked to Sarah Kurchak about the time Rousey and combat sports Icon “Judo” Gene Lebell called him up asking for permission to use his nickname:

I was trained by, at the time, the toughest man in the world. Not according to him, either. His name is “Judo” Gene Lebell and he trained Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris. He’s the godfather of MMA. He’s about 80 years old. He still has a dojo in Burbank. When I was 17, 18 years old [wrestling] in the Olympic Auditorium, I ran into him. I was getting beat up pretty good and he took me under his wing.

So then maybe a year ago-ish (my timing’s not great), Ronda and Gene called me. She was so, so excited and so beautiful, saying, “Would you mind? I’ll make you proud and I’m giving it everything you got.” And I said, “You go, gal. You go!”

Somebody asked me, “What would you think if ‘Rowdy’ Ronda Rousey would become the face of the UFC?” I said I think it would be great. I think it would be a really great thing.

And “Judo” Gene Lebell, I don’t know if you know him. He got me in the very first movie I was in, too. He’s like my dad. I’ve been choked out many times by him.

Rousey recently made an appearance on Roddy’s “Piper’s Pit” podcast where she made it clear that she will do his name justice in Brazil. Check it out by following this link.