Ronda Rousey reveals ‘secret’ health issue led to UFC retirement following knockout losses against Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes
Ronda Rousey has revealed why she retired from MMA in 2016.
‘Rowdy’ was the biggest star in the sport before her bantamweight title run came to an vicious end when Holly Holm knocked her out cold with a head kick at UFC 193 in November 2015.
3
After 13 months away from the Octagon, Rousey returned against the new 135lb queen Amanda Nunes and was stopped with a series of strikes in just 48 seconds at UFC 207 in December 2016.
The American was just 29 years old at the time and appeared to still have a future in fighting, but she quickly announced her retirement from MMA and never fought again.
Eight years later, Rousey revealed a ‘secret’ health issue prompted her decision, and it explains why she will never return to the UFC despite constant rumours about a comeback fight.
The Olympic medallist in judo is currently promoting her new book ‘Our Fight', which includes previously untold stories about her history of concussions.
READ MORE ON RONDA ROUSEY
“My concussion history that I had to keep secret for years, so I would be able to continue to compete and perform,” Rousey said on Instagram Live when asked to reveal something from the book that she's never spoken about previously. “That’s basically why I had to retire.”
Rousey went on to claim she wasn’t able to properly deal with her defeat to Holm as she didn’t want to reveal her history of concussions and risk a future career with the WWE.
She added: “I think that there was just so much to [that loss], that I couldn’t talk about it in the form of like an interview or an article or anything like that, or there would be several filters between my words and people reading it,”
“So much had to do with having so many concussions when I was in judo before I even got into MMA, I couldn’t talk about it at all when I was doing MMA.
Most read in MMA
3
3
"It would literally put a target on my head, and I might not have been allowed to compete any further.
“Same thing with WWE. They have a complicated history with their performers getting concussions, and it would be a bad look on them. So, I felt like I really couldn’t talk about it at all.
Seth Rollins reveals 'real reason' UFC legend Ronda Rousey left WWE
“I feel like this [is the] long form that I would be able to adequately address it.”
Ultimately, the UFC Hall of Famer says her decision to walk away from MMA was more about her long-term health, rather than anything to do with her inability to compete with the very best fighters.
“A really hard decision to understand, but one that my body really made for me,” Rousey insisted.
“I feel like this is the only way to really get that across in the best, most complete way that it’s not just a tweet and a headline short.”
For exclusive MMA videos and interviews, follow the new
Topics