LOS ANGELES • Ronda Rousey reckons she earns more per second in the ring than boxer Floyd "Money" Mayweather - and she does not think much of his literacy, either.

A few weeks after saying she could beat Mayweather in a no-holds-barred bout, the UFC women's champion suggested she was the real money-making machine in combat sports.

Rousey, 28, was stopped in Los Angeles by TMZ Sports, and told them: "I think I actually make two to three times more than he does per second... so when he learns to read and write, he can text me."

She reportedly earned an estimated US$5 million (S$7 million) from her UFC bantamweight championship bout earlier this month against Bethe Correia, who lasted just 34 seconds into the first round.

Rousey added: "Floyd said, '(When) you make US$300 million a night, then you can give me a call.' I actually did the math, and given the numbers of my last fight, I'm actually the highest-paid UFC fighter."

In June, Forbes estimated that Mayweather earned US$300 million in the past 12 months, making him the world's highest-paid athlete.

When pressed by TMZ on whether she really makes more than the boxer does per second, Rousey said: "Yeah. I'm just more efficient."

Her claims brought a reaction from Mayweather, who fired back: "Last time I checked, I was No. 1 on Forbes. She will never be at my status. Keep trying to get publicity."

Rousey has been teasing Mayweather recently, claiming that she could beat boxing's biggest champion in a no-rules mixed martial arts-style fight in the octagon ring.

Last month, after she won an ESPY award for best fighter, for which Mayweather - who has a reputation for being a woman-beater - was a nominee, she said: "I wonder how Floyd feels being beaten by a woman for once."

Rousey is the only women's bantamweight champion in the UFC's history. A two-time US Olympic judoka, she has dominated her new sport. Undefeated in 12 bouts, her past three fights have clocked in at 64 seconds combined.

THE GUARDIAN