Ronda Rousey's Before After-Party

November 9th, Ronda will be having an after party before she fights to raise money for Community Outreach Medical Services.

The Party

Ronda doesn't have after parties. In all of the fights she's had, there has been exactly one after party and that was when she fought in Anaheim in the first women's UFC fight. She had a party to thank all of the people from home who had supported her in getting there - the West Coast Judo Training Center people, training partners, family and friends. That was her one party.

People are always asking me and I tell them the same thing. Ronda doesn't do "after parties".  After a fight, she eats chicken wings with her family and coaches.

When we were trying to come up with a good idea for a fundraiser for COMS we hit on the "Before After Party", that is, an after party but before the fight. (Either that, or you could think of it as a WAY after party for the last fight.)

So, here is what I know: One hundred tickets. A club in LA.  November 9th. 100% of proceeds to charity.

Here is what I think I know. I'm pretty sure that the tickets will cost either $150 or $200 and that a couple of them will be raffled off. I'm pretty sure that everyone will get a gift bag with an autographed picture and maybe some other stuff. I'm pretty sure everyone will get a chance to take a picture with Ronda.

The Charity

Money raised will go to a COMS Entertainer Fund. The fact is that southern California is home to a large number of people trying to make it in the entertainment industry - musicians, actors, even professional mixed martial artists. A few of them make it big and the vast majority of them are barely scraping by.

What do you skimp on when you haven't much money? Primary and preventive care, for one thing. People without much money don't get regular physicals, screenings for HIV, cancer or diabetes. They put off seeing a doctor until they are really sick, while people who are more financially secure get access to medical care sooner and are thus treated earlier in the course of acute and chronic illnesses.

There are so many times that I have heard a person complain about a sore elbow, hurt shoulder or cough that won't go away and when I urge them to go the doctor they say,

"I just don't have the money for that."

Eventually, they end up in surgery or in the emergency room. The COMS Entertainer Fund provides people in the industry that ounce of prevention so they won't have to pay for a pound of cure later.

Ok, so that's what I know. I will give more details as I find them out.

DISCLAIMER: I am chair of the board of Community Outreach Medical Services, which is a 501 c 3 non-profit corporation. This is an unpaid position for which I receive diddly-squat in compensation or expenses.