Ronda Rousey says history of concussions forced her to retire

[Dead2009]

Rousey says concussions forced MMA retirement

Ronda Rousey revealed this week that she retired from mixed martial arts primarily due to a history of concussions.

www.espn.com

Ronda Rousey, one of the most influential stars in UFC history, revealed this week that she retired from mixed martial arts primarily because of a history of concussions.

Rousey retired from MMA at age 29 in 2016 after back-to-back knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes. During an Instagram Live to promote the upcoming release of her memoir, "Our Fight," Rousey, now 37, said a long history of concussions suffered in her previous sport, judo, contributed to her decision to leave MMA.

"I'd like people to understand my reasons and motivations behind things," Rousey said. "I was forced to leave fighting when I was faster, stronger, more skilled and had a better understanding of the art than ever before. It was a really hard decision to understand, one that my body made for me."

In 2012, Rousey became the first woman UFC signed as a fighter. The Olympic bronze medalist in judo quickly rose to fame in MMA with a string of first-round wins via armbar. She made her UFC debut in 2013 and defended the UFC's bantamweight championship six times before suffering a devastating head-kick knockout to Holm in 2015.

Following that loss, Rousey essentially went into hiding from the media and MMA community. During her Instagram Live, she said part of the reason she never spoke in-depth about that loss is because it was impossible to genuinely do so without mentioning her concussion history, which she felt she had to keep private in order to compete.

"I think there was just so much to [that loss] that I couldn't talk about it in the form of an interview or article or anything like that, or there would be several filters between my words and people reading it," Rousey said. "So much had to do with having so many concussions when I was in judo before I even got into MMA. I couldn't talk about it at all when I was doing MMA because it would literally put a target on my head and I might not have been allowed to compete any farther."

Rousey (12-2) went on to perform in professional wrestling with multiple companies, including the WWE, following her retirement from MMA. She was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018. UFC president Dana White has credited Rousey as the only reason he changed his mind in 2012 to promote women's martial arts.

 

[Yankee Traveler]

That Holm fight was great. The hey day of the UFC.

 

[Old Lion]

The rest of MMA got so much better that Rousey probably would never be champion again. She fought mostly cupcakes. Even Holm is not elite any more.

 

[redskinsfan1963]

her WWE career only helped her purse.

 

[Old Lion]

That Holm fight was great. The hey day of the UFC.

The fighters are so much better today it is not even funny. Back then some of those folks looked like people who would fight in their backyards. There was not much training. Now everyone has a whole team of trainers. It is multiple levels ahead of where it was.

 

[Yankee Traveler]

The fighters are so much better today it is not even funny. Back then some of those folks looked like people who would fight in their backyards. There was not much training. Now everyone has a whole team of trainers. It is multiple levels ahead of where it was.

Holm was fighting for Jackson Wink.

Hardly a backyard affair.

 

[Uncle Siggy]

 

[broncosmitty]

Should do pron.

 

[Uncle Siggy]

Should do pron.

How about a combo of the two???

 

[broncosmitty]

How about a combo of the two???

Lots of storyline options.

No reason she can’t be a step mom either.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

The rest of MMA got so much better that Rousey probably would never be champion again. She fought mostly cupcakes. Even Holm is not elite any more.

That would be because Holm is 42.

Let's not forget Rousey was Olympic level in Judo. Bronze in one games and golds in several international events.

Not saying the competition isn't better but shading her seems unnecessary.

 

[Sparhawk]

That Holm fight was great. The hey day of the UFC.

I kind of miss the early days when there weren't weight classes and there were multiple fights in one night.

The dude in the gi beats some guy who fights with one bare hand and one hand with a boxing glove on it.
Sure, not nearly as technical at is now, but man, when you watched that for the first time, it was electric.

And the dude in the gi essentially has a martial art named after him.

 

[Yankee Traveler]

I kind of miss the early days when there weren't weight classes and there were multiple fights in one night.

The dude in the gi beats some guy who fights with one bare hand and one hand with a boxing glove on it.
Sure, not nearly as technical at is now, but man, when you watched that for the first time, it was electric.

And the dude in the gi essentially has a martial art named after him.

Gracie.

Now those were the days. Anything goes. Tank Abbot's art was "Professional Bar Room Brawler".

 

[Old Lion]

That would be because Holm is 42.

Let's not forget Rousey was Olympic level in Judo. Bronze in one games and golds in several international events.

Not saying the competition isn't better but shading her seems unnecessary.

She was a 1 trick pony who fought a lot of never will be's.

It was like Women's tennis before the Williams sisters.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

She was a 1 trick pony who fought a lot of never will be's.

It was like Women's tennis before the Williams sisters.

So just rush past the Judo champion part. Got it.

Well even Dana credits her for establishing women's UFC so maybe a little respect on her name is in order.

 

[Old Lion]

So just rush past the Judo champion part. Got it.

Well even Dana credits her for establishing women's UFC so maybe a little respect on her name is in order.

Dont know how competitive womens Judo is. She had no other martial arts or fighting background. Thats why a second rate kick boxer almost took her head off and Amanda Nunes beat her senseless very easily. She was just the first decent fighter. Not close to the best.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

Dont know how competitive womens Judo is. She had no other martial arts or fighting background. Thats why a second rate kick boxer almost took her head off and Amanda Nunes beat her senseless very easily. She was just the first decent fighter. Not close to the best.

She beat Cat and Alex Davis who both beat Nunes. Miesha Tate is also very competitive. She finished all of them.

I find it fascinating you feel the need to run her down. Kind of a weird angle.

 

[Sparhawk]

She beat Cat and Alex Davis who both beat Nunes. Miesha Tate is also very competitive. She finished all of them.

I find it fascinating you feel the need to run her down. Kind of a weird angle.

She's easy to dislike, but props to her for being the 1st UFC female champion.
Pretty much paved the way for what was to come.

A lot like the early days of UFC.
One style had success early on and then it pretty much evolved into better athletes wielding mixed styles to have success.

 

[Old Lion]

She beat Cat and Alex Davis who both beat Nunes. Miesha Tate is also very competitive. She finished all of them.

I find it fascinating you feel the need to run her down. Kind of a weird angle.

They beat Amanda before she was very skilled when they were at their peak. Amanda got much better after the first Schevchenko fight. That fight made her better too but she knew she had to up her game and came back way better than everyone else. That was the point the game changed.

Rousey literally ran away from Cyborg too. Amanda beat her in 51 seconds.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

They beat Amanda before she was very skilled when they were at their peak. Amanda got much better after the first Schevchenko fight. That fight made her better too but she knew she had to up her game and came back way better than everyone else. That was the point the game changed.

Rousey literally ran away from Cyborg too. Amanda beat her in 51 seconds.

And she beat Cat in 14 seconds.

I think the more likely result of all this is the fame got to Rouseys head and she didn't train like she should've.

But you have now moved off she fought daycare employees and nurses to "oh Nunes wasn't in her prime yet"

Like I said. It is a weird take. But you do you man.