Ronda Rousey Nutritionist Mike Dolce: Rousey Should Take a Full Year Off

Ronda Rousey shouldn’t return to action this summer at UFC 200. In fact, she shouldn’t return until next winter.
So said nutritionist Mike Dolce, who has worked with Rousey for years and is a presumed member of her inner professional circle, in an inte…

Ronda Rousey shouldn’t return to action this summer at UFC 200. In fact, she shouldn’t return until next winter.

So said nutritionist Mike Dolce, who has worked with Rousey for years and is a presumed member of her inner professional circle, in an interview Wednesday with MMA Junkie Radio (h/t Steven Marrocco of MMA Junkie). 

“I would much rather see Ronda fight in [the] fall to late winter,” he said. “Maybe even that December card of next year. Optimally, I believe that’s the best interest in the health and safety of my athlete.”

At UFC 193 in November, Rousey famously lost her first professional MMA bout and UFC women’s bantamweight title when Holly Holm knocked her out with a head kick.

According to Dolce, properly recovering from a knockout carries a wide ripple effect on training and fighting schedules.

“They need a minimum—a minimum—of three months no contact,” he said in the interview. “And then they need another three-month period of light contact, just getting back into the gym again. That puts us at six months, which is May. And then you get into more intense training. That’s even before training camp kicks in.”

The UFC is singing a slightly different tune. UFC President Dana White has basically indicated nothing will stop him from setting up a Rousey-Holm rematch for UFC 200 this July, according to Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times, not even Holm’s preferences. She has said she would like to fight some time between now and July, rather than sit on the shelf for eight months. Fox Sports: UFC provided her comments:

For her part, Rousey has said “she is game” for the UFC 200 rematch, according to TMZ (via Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie), which would undoubtedly bring in very big numbers for the UFC.

Dolce said he recognizes a July rematch would mean a big payday for all involved, but he said his concern was more about Rousey’s long-term health and career.

“Financially, this young lady is going to be OK,” Dolce said. “She’s not fighting for money; she’s fighting for pride. She doesn’t need to fight for money. … It makes no sense from a business perspective to fight before she’s ready, specifically when we’re talking about health. 

“This is serious business, getting punched and kicked in the skull, risking traumatic brain injury. These are all serious things that we do not take lightly. It makes no sense for an athlete to come back two seconds too soon in order to make money.”

The UFC has not publicly announced any new fights for Rousey or Holm. It will be interesting to see what, if anything, UFC officials—or perhaps Rousey herself—have to say about the concerns Dolce laid out in Wednesday’s interview.

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