Ronda Rousey appreciates that each once in a while when UFC begins constructing an enormous card, her title nonetheless comes up for a possible comeback.
The newest occasion was UFC 300. Because the promotion promised the most important occasion in historical past, there have been seemingly hundreds of thousands of rumors swirling about what sort of a rabbit Dana White may pull out of his hat. Rousey’s title in some way ended up being talked about as a candidate, however White admitted very overtly that she was by no means even in consideration as a result of the previous bantamweight champion was completely satisfied elevating her household in retirement.
Regardless of her final UFC look occurring virtually eight years in the past, Rousey enjoys that her title nonetheless comes up every now and then, however she guarantees there’s no probability she’s ever combating once more.
“Each couple years … the identical rumor comes out,” Rousey advised the Perception podcast. “It’s good to really feel missed, I assume. Nevertheless it’s not occurring. I’m not neurologically match to compete anymore on the highest degree. I simply can’t.
“You simply get to a degree the place the neurological accidents you are taking accumulate over time. They don’t get higher.”
As she was just lately selling her autobiography, Rousey stated repeated concussions that started when she was nonetheless a toddler performed the most important consider her MMA profession coming to an finish. Rousey stated she by no means addressed the scenario publicly as a result of she was nonetheless actively competing, and even after she left UFC, she didn’t need to probably threat her future in WWE after transitioning into skilled wrestling.
However, she stated, ultimately the signs she suffered on account of so many concussions pressured Rousey to stroll away from full-time competitors.
“Once I bought into MMA, I had already had dozens of concussions that I educated by,” Rousey stated. “Like, not even stopped for. In order that was a few decade of getting concussion signs as a rule. So after I bought into MMA, I used to be enjoying a recreation of zero errors. Then it bought to the purpose the place I used to be combating extra typically than anyone. I had extra outdoors of combating tasks than anyone, and it simply bought to be lighter and lighter hits have been hurting me an increasing number of and extra.
“I bought to a degree the place I couldn’t take a jab with out getting dazed, with out getting concussion signs. It simply bought to a degree the place it wasn’t protected for me to struggle anymore. I simply couldn’t proceed to struggle at that increased degree.”
Rousey endured her first skilled loss again in 2015 when she suffered a brutal head kick knockout courtesy of Holly Holm. That struggle value her the UFC bantamweight title and Rousey ended up sitting out for the following yr as she recovered from the loss.
When she ultimately got here again 13 months later, Rousey lasted simply 48 seconds towards Amanda Nunes earlier than she walked out of the octagon and by no means returned to the UFC.
Fact be advised, Rousey admits now that she in all probability ought to have walked away for good after the loss to Holm, however she simply couldn’t let her profession finish like that.
“It was actually robust and I believe that’s why I took that first loss so onerous, as a result of I knew it was over,” Rousey stated. “I knew I’d reached that restrict. I used to be in denial about it and I attempted to come back again once more with plenty of relaxation and a greater weight lower, not doing the additional stuff, the additional press, and simply coming in and combating.
“If I may simply lower to that second after they say go and I struggle, I f*cking love that a lot. Nothing makes extra sense on this planet. There’s not a single factor that occurs that I don’t perceive or that I don’t know what to do.”
Rousey stated her issues with concussions adopted her into WWE, however she ultimately needed to say sufficient was sufficient. With a rising household alongside husband Travis Browne, Rousey realized she needed to put her athletic profession behind her or threat everlasting injury that she wouldn’t stroll away from.
So as to add to that, Rousey appreciated that she turned a job mannequin for younger fighters arising within the sport and she or he most popular serving for example to ladies following in her footsteps slightly than turning into a cautionary story.
“The lads have been round longer so they simply have extra historical past of boxing and stuff like that, they simply attain their restrict of what number of hits that they will take after which they begin getting knocked out,” Rousey defined. “They begin getting knocked out simpler and simpler, an increasing number of typically. You then see them down the highway they usually’re having all types of neurological points.
“I simply felt it was my accountability to age gracefully as a result of I’m a consultant of my sport. Folks have a look at me and consider girls’s MMA. If I’m rolling round in a wheelchair, individuals aren’t going to let their little ladies go and do it. You by no means know if you take one hit too many till many years later. You see these guys who’re like punch drunk.”
As a lot as Rousey beloved the assist she acquired from followers, the now 37-year-old UFC Corridor of Famer is aware of consideration like that’s fleeting and she or he needed to start pondering long-term so far as her life was involved.
That’s why she’s so resolved to place combating behind her for good, regardless of what number of occasions she hears requires a comeback.
“Everybody likes to see you struggle if you’re within the cage, however none of these persons are going to be there for you down the road,” Rousey stated. “You’ve bought to care for your self and your loved ones and put that first. Since you’re only a passing leisure to everyone else. You see that in professional wrestling, individuals get hooked on that applause they usually can’t cease, they will’t stroll away even when it turns into to their detriment.
“I simply needed to put my foot down and be like, ‘This has gotten to a degree the place my mind can’t take anymore and it has nothing to do with how robust I’m or something like that.’ It’s simply the best way that it’s.”
