Inaugural UFC bantamweight champion, Ronda Rousey has revealed she had initially started dealing with concussion-like symptoms at just 6-years-old – claiming her career in combat sports could have gone much differently if she avoided neurological issues.
Rousey, a former undisputed bantamweight champion under the banner of the UFC, called time on her combat sports career following back-to-back knockout losses to former champions, Amanda Nunes, and Holly Holm back in 2015, and 2016, respectively.
And forever linked with a return to mixed martial arts – particularly for this year’s huge UFC 300 card, Rousey had revealed she was dealing with numerous neurological issues early on in her career in combat sports.
Furthermore, the Riverside grappler claimed she had suffered a concussion in the days ahead of her infamous title fight with Albuquerque rival, Holm, and detailed how even jab strikes during his career in the UFC left her dealing with neurological issues.
Ronda Rousey reveals concussions issues suffered at just 6 years old
Opening up further on her history with injuries, Rousey claimed at just 6 years of age, she suffered from concussion-like symptoms.
“If the concussions weren’t an issue, things would’ve happened completely differently,” Ronda Rousey told CBS Sports during a recent interview. “Accumulative neurological injuries 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 6 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 during 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,” Ronda Rousey continued. “As a fighter, you’re not supposed to show any weaknesses 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.”
What are your thoughts on Ronda Rousey’s career in the UFC?