Ronda Rousey Reveals Concussions And Why She Didn't Tell Dana White
Ronda Rousey is sharing new details that you've never heard before about what ultimately led to her UFC downfall.
In a new interview, Rousey says that she had been suffering from multiple concussions dating back to her judo years and that the effects of them eventually caught up to her in the UFC.
"It got to the point where if I was getting touched at all, if I was getting jabbed, I was starting to get concussion symptoms and I couldn’t tell my coach about it," Rousey told Cageside Seats."I couldn’t tell Dana White about it because they would retire me. They wouldn’t let me fight. And I wasn’t ready to let go. I wasn’t ready to admit that I couldn’t do everything perfectly because that’s what I had to believe to be able to be at that level," the UFC Hall of Famer said.
RONDA CAME CRASHING DOWN HARD
It's not uncommon for mixed martial arts fighters to suffer concussions - especially those in judo. As someone who has covered MMA for years, I've known fighters that have had it happen. But in Rousey's case, it's different because she said that at the time she couldn't even disclose it. It's true that there was a TON of pressure on Ronda. She had that Conor McGregor-type meteoric rise, but in Ronda's case she was spearheading the entire women's fighter movement. As we know now, that got the best of her - both physically and mentally.
My only question is - why is she just telling us about this NOW? Oh, she has a new book coming out! Funny how that works.
All jokes aside, there's no doubt that the former Women's Bantamweight champion was absolutely dominant in the early and mid-2010's. Winning 12 fights in a row, 9 of which came in the FIRST ROUND, Rousey rightfully earned her nickname "Baddest woman on the planet."
RONDA NEVER TOLD DANA WHITE ABOUT CONCUSSIONS
However, in 2019, Ronda would suffer her first loss when she lost to Holly Holm via a first round knock out. She now reveals new details that her trainer is partially to blame for giving her a wrong piece of equipment!
"The first time I got touched in that fight [against Holly Holm], the punch knocked all my bottom teeth loose and I was completely out on my feet the entire fight. I couldn’t see how far away she was from me, if that makes sense. And [I was] not seeing things as quickly. Usually, when I fight, time dilates and I see everything in slow motion. This was like I was in a fog where I couldn’t tell a range or anything," Rousey continued.
You can watch the beginning of the end of Ronda's career, which all happened within one minute here:
Without a doubt, after the Holm loss, Ronda was never the same. In her next fight, she would once again suffer a first round knock out, this time to Miesha Tate. Rousey then announced her retirement before eventually spending a few years in the WWE where she became the women's champion.
Whether it really was the concussions that led to her MMA retirement or just the overall mental anguish of letting herself and others down, we will always wonder just how far Ronda could have gone if she kept winning.