Fact Check

Ronda Ca-Rousey

Published Aug. 5, 2015

Claim:

FACT CHECK:   Did Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) champion Ronda Rousey fail a drug test and get stripped of her title?

Claim:   Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Ronda Rousey failed a drug test and was stripped of her title.

   FALSE

Example:     [Collected via Twitter, August 2015]

Origins:    On 4 August 2015, social media users began sharing what appeared to be a news article claiming that Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Ronda Rousey had failed a drug test and was therefore stripped of her title.

A headline embedded on Facebook shares of the post read "Breaking: Rousey fails drug test, stripped of title," and preview text stated "UFC Champ Ronda Rousey's prefight drug test revealed cocaine and heroin usage, she is suspended for one year pending appeal." Many users simply tweeted and shared the link without clicking through to the actual content, which led to the following image:

The hoax was one of many perpetrated by the create-your-own-prank site FeedNewz, which enables social media users to trick friends into clicking on or sharing fake headlines. Among FeedNewz's user-submitted japes that gained traction on social sites were claims that Taco Bell was shutting down all its locations, that Channing Tatum had come out as gay, and that EastEnders star Danny Dyer had died. The latter hoax became so widespread that Dyer was forced to address grieving fans on social media to debunk the fake report.

Last updated:      5 August 2015

Originally published:    5 August 2015

Kim LaCapria is a former writer for Snopes.