Ronda Rousey Shatters Speculation About MMA Return, Opens Up on Neurological Damage
Ronda Rousey, once a dominant force in mixed martial arts, has unequivocally put to rest any rumors about her potential return to the sport. The decorated fighter and former Olympian has cited irreversible neurological damage as the primary reason for her early departure and permanent retirement from MMA.
Rousey's rise in the sport was nothing short of meteoric. Rapidly ascending from the regional circuits to Strikeforce and ultimately the UFC, she became a mainstream superstar and a household name. Her prowess in the octagon and her undeniable influence forced UFC President Dana White to reconsider the inclusion of women in the UFC—a move that revolutionized the sport.
However, Rousey's career came to an abrupt halt following back-to-back knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes. These defeats marked a turning point, prompting her to step away from the sport. Rousey revealed that her decision was rooted in a growing awareness of the severe and accumulating impact of neurological injuries.
"It's nice to feel missed, I guess. But it's not happening. I'm not neurologically fit to compete anymore at the highest level. I just can't. You just get to a level where the neurological injuries you take accumulate over time. They don't get better," Rousey disclosed.
She went on to explain the gravity of her situation, detailing symptoms that became impossible to ignore. "I got to a point where I couldn't take a jab without getting dazed, without getting concussion symptoms. It just got to a point where it wasn't safe for me to fight anymore. I just couldn't continue to fight at that higher level."
Rousey's battles with concussions are not confined to her MMA career. She started to experience them at the tender age of six, initially in swimming, where collisions during backstrokes or hitting the wall were a frequent occurrence. Her early dive into judo only exacerbated the issue, leading to multiple concussions annually.
"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. 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," Rousey shared.
The accumulation of these injuries over the years was significant. As Rousey transitioned into MMA, she entered the sport with a history of untreated concussions. "When I got into MMA, I had already had dozens of concussions that I trained through. Like, not even stopped for. So that was about a decade of having concussion symptoms more often than not. So when I got into MMA, I was playing a game of zero errors," she lamented.
Rousey detailed how the nature of her injuries inevitably impacted her career. "Then it got to the point where I was fighting more often than anybody. I had more outside of fighting responsibilities than anybody, and it just got to be lighter and lighter hits were hurting me more and more and more."
The former champion also highlighted the culture of silence surrounding neurological issues in contact sports. "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. A lot of people talk about it as if it's making excuses or weakness."
Rousey's openness about her struggles underscores the need for better concussion management and support systems in the sporting world. Her story brings to light the invisible battles athletes face and serves as a compelling call to action for improved protocols and athlete health prioritization.
Although her days in the octagon are over, Ronda Rousey's legacy in MMA and her contribution to the sport remain indisputable. By sharing her experiences, she has opened critical discourse on an issue too often ignored, paving the way for better understanding and policies to protect future athletes.