Rhea Ripley Shoots Down Claim About Slimming Down Due To Back Pain Caused By Muscle Mass

Jeremy LambertApril 11, 2026, 9:09 pm

Rhea Ripley sets the record straight.

An engagement account on social media stated, “Rhea Ripley’s insane body transformation came after she revealed she had to slim down for health reasons, as her muscle mass was causing serious back pain.”

There was no source as to where she said this. A quick investigation by Fightful showed that some fans theorized Ripley slimmed down due to back pain after she referenced having back pain in a July 2025 interview with Chris Van Vliet. Rhea never mentioned muscle mass as to why she was having back pain, but cited a match against Raquel Rodriguez where she hit the edge of the announce table on a back bodydrop.

A misleading article by Sportster seemed to play a role in the theory.

Rhea took to social media to shoot down the claim, saying the interview where she allegedly said she slimmed down due to back pain via muscle mass never happened.