The former UFC women’s bantamweight champion says that her loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193 could be the best thing that ever happened to her.
The dust has settled from UFC 193 and Ronda Rousey has had a chance to reflect on the loss. The Olympic bronze medalist entered the main event against Holly Holm as a massive favorite and was expected to add another championship feather to her cap.
It came as a shock then, when “The Preacher’s Daughter” landed a murderous head kick in the 2nd round to relieve “Rowdy” of her championship duty and walk away as the new UFC women’s bantamweight champion.
Last month, Rousey admitted to suicidal thoughts and broke down in tears on The Ellen Degeneres Show but appears to have rebuilt her confidence in the wake of Holm’s loss to Miesha Tate at the recent UFC 196 pay-per-view.
“Every single setback, it’s not the end of the world, it’s just the beginning of that lesson,” Rousey said at Reebok’s Luncheon for Inspirational Women (via Inside Halton). “That had to happen for me to learn these certain things and it’s not about being completely infallible, it’s about getting better and there’s no room for improvement in perfect.”
The 29-year-old believes everything happens for a reason and says her loss to Holm could be a blessing in disguise.
“When it comes to challenges, I honestly believe that things happen for a reason. At the time yes it’s hard on a personal, emotional level and it’s hard to look past what’s happening to the future, but you have to believe in yourself because down the line in two, five, ten years’ time you’ll look back and think that was actually the best thing that ever happened to me.”
With “Cupcake” being crowned the new 135-pound champion, it’s expected that Rousey will complete her trilogy fight with Tate at the end of the year instead of avenging her loss to Holly Holm. The Glendale Fighting Club member holds two wins over Tate, dislocating her elbow in 2012 and submitting the newly-crowned champion again at UFC 168.