Ronda Rousey, one of the most influential stars in UFC history, recently revealed her retirement from MMA due to a history of concussions. Read more about her decision and the impact of her concussion history on her career.
| Key Points |
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| Ronda Rousey retired from MMA primarily due to a history of concussions. |
| Her decision to leave fighting was influenced by the impact of her concussions from her previous sport, judo. |
| Rousey’s retirement came after back-to-back knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes. |
| She made her mark in the UFC as the first woman signed by the organization and defended the bantamweight championship six times. |
| Rousey’s concussion history prevented her from openly discussing her loss to Holm. |
| She has since transitioned to professional wrestling and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018. |
Ronda Rousey, one of the most influential stars in UFC history, recently opened up about her decision to retire from mixed martial arts (MMA). In an Instagram Live session promoting her upcoming memoir, ‘Our Fight,’ Rousey shared that her retirement was primarily influenced by a long history of concussions she had suffered in her previous sport, judo.
Rousey, who retired from MMA at the age of 29 in 2016 after two consecutive knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, expressed the difficulty of her decision. She mentioned that she was forced to leave fighting despite being in her prime, as her body made the choice for her.
The former Olympic bronze medalist in judo made her mark in the UFC in 2012 as the first woman signed by the organization. She quickly gained fame with a series of first-round wins via armbar. Rousey successfully defended the UFC’s bantamweight championship six times before her devastating loss to Holm in 2015, which was a head-kick knockout.
Following that defeat, Rousey retreated from the media and the MMA community. During her Instagram Live session, she explained that she never spoke openly about the loss because it would require discussing her concussion history, which she preferred to keep private in order to continue competing.
Rousey also revealed that her concussion issues began during her judo career before she even entered MMA. She emphasized that discussing her concussions during her MMA career would have put a target on her head and potentially prevented her from competing further.
Since retiring from MMA, Rousey has ventured into professional wrestling, working with various companies, including the WWE. In 2018, she was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. UFC president Dana White has credited Rousey as the driving force behind his decision to promote women’s martial arts in 2012.
