Ronda Rousey: Stepping Away from the Octagon for Good
Ronda Rousey has officially quashed any lingering rumors about her return to mixed martial arts (MMA), definitively stating that her days in the octagon are over. The former UFC champion has revealed the poignant and painful reasons behind her decision to step away from the sport that made her a household name.
Rousey, who rapidly ascended from the regional MMA scene to Strikeforce and eventually to the UFC, cited irreversible neurological damage as the primary reason for not returning. "It's nice to feel missed, I guess. But it’s not happening," she explained. "I'm not neurologically fit to compete anymore at the highest level. I just can't. You just get to a level where the neurological injuries you take accumulate over time. They don't get better."
This candid acknowledgment from Rousey sheds light on a troubling issue that plagues contact sports—neurological decline. Rousey has been dealing with concussion symptoms from a very young age. "I started dealing with it at six years old," she shared. "I started getting concussions much earlier on in swimming. Two kids doing a backstroke in the other direction crack heads or hit the wall doing 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."
As Rousey transitioned into MMA, the accumulation of these injuries began to take a brutal toll on her health. "When I got into MMA, I had already had dozens of concussions that I trained through. Like, not even stopped for," she admitted. "So that was about a decade of having concussion symptoms more often than not. So when I got into MMA, I was playing a game of zero errors. Then it got to the point where I was fighting more often than anybody. I had more outside of fighting responsibilities than anybody, and it just got to be lighter and lighter hits were hurting me more and more and more."
The reality of this ongoing neurological damage became undeniable after back-to-back knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, which forced Rousey to step away from the sport in 2016. The symptoms became so severe that even minor impacts were debilitating. "I got to a point where I couldn't take a jab without getting dazed, without getting concussion symptoms. It just got to a point where it wasn't safe for me to fight anymore. I just couldn't continue to fight at that higher level."
Rousey's story is a stark reminder of the invisible battles many athletes face. As a former Olympic bronze medalist and trailblazer for women in the UFC, she broke barriers and significantly raised the profile of women's fighting in MMA. Her influence even led UFC President Dana White to reconsider his stance on women's participation in the UFC.
However, Rousey's decision to speak openly about her neurological issues also opens a critical discourse on athlete health and safety in sports where concussions are a common risk. Rousey emphasized the need for better concussion management and support systems in contact sports. "As a fighter, you're not supposed to show any weakness 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," she said.
Her revelations compel us to question the culture of silence around neurological decline in contact sports. Rousey's experiences and her choice to speak out are crucial in prompting discussions about creating safer environments for athletes. Her story isn't just about a celebrated career coming to an end; it's about the long-term impacts of repeated concussions and the need for change in how these injuries are managed.
In closing, Rousey's decision to step away from MMA is a powerful testament to her courage, not only in the ring but in confronting the harsh realities of her condition. While fans may miss seeing her compete, her health and well-being take precedence. Ronda Rousey’s candidness serves as a valuable lesson and a call to action for the sports community to prioritize athlete health over the allure of competition. For Rousey, the battle now is off the mat, advocating for greater awareness and better care for athletes facing similar struggles.