In 2024, UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey promoted her first graphic novel titled ‘Expecting the Unexpected’ and candidly spoke about the long-term effects of the concussions she experienced throughout her athletic journey. In an interview with CBS Sports, Rousey reflected on how those injuries influenced the course of her career, saying, “If the concussions weren’t an issue, things would’ve happened completely differently.” For the unversed, Rousey was forced to retire from MMA at the age of 29 after her UFC 207 loss to Amanda Nunes.
While she has a decent stint in the WWE after her UFC career was over, the overwhelming struggle with concussions never really left her. In the same interview, she also revealed that her battle with head trauma began in childhood, dating back to her early swimming lessons. She recalled suffering head injuries from accidental collisions, either with other kids or from hitting the sides of the pool, marking the beginning of what would become a lifelong struggle with repeated head trauma.
“As a fighter, you’re not supposed to show any weakness or talk about things like that or the inevitable neurological decline that comes with taking headshots,” explained the former bantamweight queen. Rousey added, “A lot of people talk about it as if it’s making excuses or weakness.” Her advent into judo made things worse. Although ‘Rowdy’ went on to clinch an Olympic bronze in the discipline, the struggle with the sport persisted.“I started doing judo at a young age and kept getting concussions regularly and multiple times a year, and not being allowed to speak up or say anything about it.”
Despite her history with head injuries, Rousey appears to be reconnecting with the sport she first loved. She recently took to Instagram to re-share a story posted by AnnMaria DeMars and fellow judoka Pauline Macias, suggesting that she’s once again enjoying her time back on the judo mats. The caption of the story read as, “21 years are between these pics, & @rondarousey & I are still laughing through life! So many more amazing years to come.”
MMA: UFC 207-Nunes vs Rousey, December 30, 2016, Las Vegas, NV, USA Amanda Nunes reacts after her TKO victory against Ronda Rousey during UFC 207 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports, 30.12.2016 22:48:38, 9778725, Amanda Nunes, T-Mobile Arena, NPStrans, Ronda Rousey, MMA, TopPic PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMarkxJ.xRebilasx 9778725
After announcing her retirement from the sport, Rousey has come forward and shared her experiences of various problems she faced inside the Octagon. ‘The Baddest Woman on the Planet’ also opened up about her infamous loss against Holy Holm, which ended her winning streak. It was later revealed by her that concussion problems were one of the reasons for her losing that particular fight.
Ronda Rousey recalls her infamous loss against Holly Holm at UFC 193
Ronda Rousey’s exit from the UFC was anything but storybook. Her reign came to a crashing halt at UFC 193, where a stunning head-kick knockout by Holly Holm ended her unbeaten streak and shook the MMA world. When she returned over a year later to face Amanda Nunes, the outcome was just as brutal—another knockout loss that marked the end of her time in the Octagon. It was a quiet and painful departure for a fighter who once stood as the face of the sport.
During an interview with Cageside Seats in 2024, the UFC Hall of Famer admitted that her ongoing concussion issues prevented her from performing at her best, especially when it came to her aggressive fighting style. She confessed that things unraveled quickly during the bout with Holly Holm, as the effects of her condition left her unable to react and adapt the way she once could.
Rousey said, “Usually when I fight, time dilates and I see everything in slow motion. This [the fight against Holly Holm] was like I was in like a fog where I couldn’t tell a range or anything.” ‘The Baddest Woman on the Planet’ then emphasized the critical importance of addressing brain injuries in combat sports. She pointed out the troubling reality—unlike other physical injuries, damage to the brain is hard to detect and even harder to prevent.
There’s no way to toughen the brain, and over time, the effects are inevitable. For athletes, that decline can be both rapid and unforgiving, leaving them vulnerable and without control. Rousey’s impact on the sport of MMA is undeniable. Her arrival changed everything. Without the presence of the Olympic medalist, many still wonder how different the landscape of women’s MMA might have looked. But what do you feel about her concussion problems? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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