Former undisputed bantamweight champion, Ronda Rousey has claimed she is still the “greatest fighter that’s ever lived” amid her exit from combat sports back in 2016, revealing numerous details of her losses against Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes prior to her Octagon departure.
Rousey, the inaugural UFC bantamweight champion, called time on her mixed martial arts career following her second consecutive loss via knockout, however, has been continually linked with a stunning return to the sport in the year since her departure.
Turning her hand to professional wrestling under the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) banner in the time since her exit from mixed martial arts, Riverside native, Rousey also departed the former Vince McMahon-led outfit at the end of last year.
And while reflecting on her professional mixed martial arts career ahead of the release of an upcoming memoir, Rousey delved into her deep history with a slew of concussions suffered both in combat sports and judo competition – revealing she didn’t call time on her tenure sooner as to not disappoint fans or UFC CEO, Dana White.
Ronda Rousey labels herself the greatest fighter ever
Labelling herself as the best fighter to ever compete in mixed martial arts, former Strikeforce champion, Rousey also attributed her shocking 2015 knockout loss to above-mentioned, Holm to a badly-fitting mouthguard, as well as a difficult weight cut to 135lbs.
“My first loss – like, my mouthguard was bad,” Ronda Rousey explained during an interview with Valeria Livopetsky. “I literally came into that fight [with Holly Holm] concussed from slipping down some stairs already, you know, after all of these years of concussions. And then I had an absolutely terrible weight cut. Which, you know, that means you have less fluid in your brain to cut to protect it.”
“And I was out on my feet for the entire fight,” Ronda Rousey said. “I was trying to make it look like I wasn’t hurt, but I wasn’t there, cognitively. I couldn’t think as fast, I couldn’t judge distance, and just from that one fight, everybody thought, ‘Oh, she’s just a fraud’. And I know like, I’m the greatest fighter that has ever lived.”
What are your thoughts on Ronda Rousey’s revelations of her UFC run?