Ronda Rousey has been very open about her concussion history as she’s embarked on a career as an author.
The former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) champion has put her competitive days behind her seemingly for good. Of course, you can never say never in combat sports or professional wrestling, but Rousey has already put a lot of focus in her writing this past year.
Rousey, 37, returned to the media spotlight for several promotional tours before the release of her latest memoir, Our Fight. In those appearances, Rousey revealed her reoccurring dealings with concussions, which ultimately led to her retirement after her first and only losses in mixed martial arts (MMA), knockouts from Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes. However, according to Rousey, they were actually a lifelong issue.
“If the concussions weren’t an issue, things would’ve happened completely differently,” Rousey told CBS Sports. “Accumulative neurological injury is something people don’t talk about in MMA. It’s something that everybody is dealing with at a different pace. I started dealing with it at six years old. I started getting concussions much earlier on in swimming. Two kids doing a backstroke in the other direction crack heads or hit the wall doing the backstroke.
Continuing her story, she expressed, “From a young age, I began my journey in judo, but unfortunately, I frequently suffered from concussions, facing this issue multiple times a year. However, I was never given the opportunity to voice my concerns or speak up about these injuries. It seems that as a fighter, revealing any weakness or discussing the inevitable decline in neurological health resulting from head injuries is frowned upon. Many individuals perceive such conversations as mere excuses or signs of weakness.”
Following her defeat to Nunes in a swift 48-second bout at UFC 207 in December 2016, Rousey made the decision to retire from MMA in early 2017. Despite finding success in her subsequent WWE career, Rousey acknowledged that she could no longer remain in the sport that had brought her fame, even if she desired to do so.
Rousey stated that she has a comprehensive list of considerations for her life, including the potential long-term effects of taking too many hits. She believes that it would not be beneficial for the sport or her division if she overstayed her welcome. Rousey reached a point where she acknowledged that she could no longer sustain the head impacts and maintain her competitive edge. This decision is not only for her own well-being but also to preserve the reputation of women’s MMA. As a representative of the sport, she feels responsible for upholding its integrity.
