Ronda Rousey Officially Closes the Door on MMA Return Due to Irreversible Neurological Damage
Ronda Rousey, the former UFC women's bantamweight champion, has definitively ended any lingering speculation about her return to mixed martial arts (MMA). Rousey has disclosed that irreversible neurological damage prevents her from competing at the highest level.
"It's nice to feel missed, I guess. But it's not happening. 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," Rousey explained.
Rousey's journey in combat sports began at an early age. A former Olympic bronze medalist in judo, Rousey rapidly ascended from the regional MMA scene to the more prominent stages of Strikeforce, and eventually, the UFC. Her unparalleled skills and undeniable charisma made her a mainstream star and household name. She even influenced UFC President Dana White to rethink his initial opposition to women's participation in the UFC, ultimately opening doors for countless female fighters.
However, Rousey's career in the UFC was marred by serious injuries. After her back-to-back knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, Rousey stepped away from the sport in 2016. The severity of her injuries became increasingly apparent as she revealed the underlying issue of neurological damage.
"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 remarked.
The problem wasn’t new for Rousey. Remarkably, she began dealing with concussions as young as six years old. "I started dealing with it at six years old. 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," she shared. Her transition to judo didn't alleviate the issue. She continued to sustain concussions regularly but was not permitted to voice her struggles.
"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. When I got into MMA, I had already had dozens of concussions that I trained through. Like, not even stopped for. So that was about a decade of having concussion symptoms more often than not," Rousey recalled.
The cumulative effect of these injuries has been dire. Rousey faced a daunting reality: frequent headshots in MMA exacerbated her neurological decline. She noted the cultural silence surrounding neurological damage among fighters. "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 observed.
Rousey's candid revelations cast a harsh light on the realities many athletes face in contact sports. Her story has spurred discussions about athlete health and safety, and the urgent need for better concussion management and support systems.
Rousey's influence extends beyond her achievements inside the octagon. Her decision to speak openly about her neurological issues has initiated critical discourse on the silent battles fought by many athletes. Her transparency brings to the forefront a pivotal issue in the sports world, underscoring the importance of protecting the well-being of athletes.
For fans hoping for a Ronda Rousey comeback, the former champion made it unequivocally clear: "It's not happening." The physical toll her career has taken mandates a permanent retreat from competitive fighting, leaving her legacy as a trailblazer for women in MMA indelibly etched in the sport’s history.