After being defeated for the first time in her mixed martial arts (MMA) career in back-to-back losses, it's likely that we've seen the end of Ronda Rousey in the UFC.
Rousey started off as an absolute animal in her fighting career; racking up a vicious 12-0 record in which she finished all of her opponents such as Cat Zingano, Miesha Tate, Alexis Davis, Charmaine Tweet, and so many more. It wasn't until November of 2015, however, when she first tasted the bitterness of defeat.
Former kickboxing champion Holly Holm would step in to face "The Rowdy One" in the main event of UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia, and she pointed out some major flaws in Rousey's game.
When it came to an elite striker the calibre of Holm, Rousey simply couldn't contend as she was knocked out with a vicious head-kick in the second round of the fight. After taking a year off from competition Rousey returned in December of 2016 in attempt to regain the 135-pound title.
She was again bested by a superior striker, and perhaps the hardest-hitting female in MMA history, in Amanda Nunes in only 48 seconds. Now rumors indicate that Rousey is eying a career in the world of professional wrestling rather than actual fighting anymore.
UFC President Dana White was recently asked about a possible return to the Octagon for his former biggest star, and his comments indicated that it's very unlikely. In fact, White said that he has no interest in seeing Rousey return to fighting action (quotes via MMA Fighting):
“I wouldn’t want to see it,” White said Tuesday at a media lunch. “I wouldn’t want it to happen. I care about her. She’s got enough money. She’s got enough money and all that stuff.
"I don’t want to see it happen. It’s like Chuck Liddell. I was hearing that Chuck was talking about fighting again. I hope that’s not true.
“She’s super happy. She’s traveling, she’s hanging out, she’s doing her thing. Imagine never having a personal life and then you get one.”
“She has not retired. USADA is still popping up at her house and testing her. She refuses to retire.”
“She’s not ready to say I quit,” White said. “She’s not ready to say I’m done, for whatever reason. She doesn’t tick like everybody else ticks.
"We found that out throughout the years. … She has this awesome personal life, she’s super happy and why put up with that aggravation anymore? Just announce it and the USADA stuff stops.
“I always used to compare her to Tyson and it’s totally like Tyson. I agree. It’s like this aura of invincibility.”
What are your thoughts on White saying that he doesn't want to see Rousey return to MMA? Do you think that it's at all possible that we see one more fight from the former UFC women's bantamweight champion? Or have we seen the last of her fighting days after suffering back-to-back consecutive knockout losses? Let us know your thoughts on the matter in the comments section below!
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