Ronda Rousey returned to coaching lately after her final battle within the UFC got here all the best way again in 2016 however does that imply she’s truly considering a comeback?
Nicely based on Rousey, no fighter is ever really retired however getting again within the gymnasium wasn’t essentially about constructing in the direction of a reunion with the UFC. The previous bantamweight champion appreciates the compliments she’s obtained for the coaching footage posted on social media however she hasn’t been blowing up Dana White to ask a few comeback both.
“They’re like ‘you look so good!’ As a result of I’m the best ever,” Rousey informed The Breakfast Membership on Thursday. “After all, that is what occurs after I practice! I look nice. Sorry. I don’t should have a plan for world domination in thoughts.
“However Mike Tyson coming again and being the largest battle of final 12 months simply type of proves that I don’t assume anybody’s ever actually achieved.”
After all, Tyson returned to the ring at 58 years outdated for a boxing match towards Jake Paul that turned some of the watched fights within the historical past of fight sports activities.
At 38, Rousey isn’t that far faraway from her athletic prime however deciding to coach once more actually had extra to do along with her personal well being and feeling higher about her physique after giving start to her daughter again in January.
“I’ve a cage in my storage. It’s not like I went anyplace,” Rousey mentioned with fun. “I actually did mosey on on the market [to train]. It’s actually superior I get to be type of a spoiled brat now the place I’m like ‘I simply need to construct a cage in my yard and convey my buddies over to do some karate.’ I’m simply having enjoyable with it once more. It bought to some extent the place it type of bought hijacked from me, and I used to be preventing and coaching for causes apart from my very own.
“I feel after having my final child, being pregnant is f*cking powerful. It felt like I used to be handicapped simply in comparison with being a finely tuned athletic machine the place I really feel like I can do something to all of the sudden I feel if I did a ahead roll, I might throw my again out. That’s simply the place it began, I wished to get my bodily id again from simply being a vessel for creating one other individual. Simply get that freedom of motion again. I began coaching MMA once more as a result of I really feel like I type of misplaced that id as being a fighter, I feel it broke my coronary heart an excessive amount of to be anyplace close to it as a result of I adore it a lot. I type of went to the acute the place I don’t need to practice. I don’t need to do something in any respect.”
Rousey successfully minimize all ties to the game after her loss to Amanda Nunes earlier than then transferring onto turn out to be a famous person in WWE.
She ultimately returned to the UFC when she was inducted into the Corridor of Fame in 2018 however Rousey nixed talks about preventing once more after revealing in her autobiography that repeated concussions performed an element in her choice to stroll away within the first place.
That mentioned, Rousey admits she’s fallen in love with the game over again now, though actually it’s simply been enjoyable to get again to one thing she at all times loved doing earlier than she turned one of many greatest names to ever compete within the UFC.
“It was truly a pal of mine, one in every of my coaches, he was like ‘I actually need to get my black belt in judo, are you able to assist me get my black belt?’” Rousey defined. “I’m like all proper so I had a few mats in my storage, he would come over, and I’d present him some judo. Then I began having fun with it once more and he does wrestling and jiu-jitsu and stuff and it’s like let’s roll round a bit of bit. Let’s do this. Then my energy and conditioning coach had been coming all through the years and like ‘how about you maintain some paddles for me and hit some mitts’ and stuff like that.
“So it simply type of got here from a spot of simply pleasure, and I simply need to do it simply because I take pleasure in it, as an alternative of that is what I really feel obligated to do or that is what I’m being coerced to be doing for one cause or one other. It’s what my physique actually needs. It’s what I’ve been coaching to do my entire life and I simply really feel more healthy and higher and I need to practice once more.”
Clearly, Rousey didn’t shut down a possible comeback however she’s additionally not declaring her return from retirement.
For now, she’s simply blissful to get again on the mats once more and keep in mind why she did MMA within the first place.
“It makes me blissful,” Rousey mentioned. “It’s actually humorous, I’m coaching and everybody’s like ‘what are you coaching for? What are you doing?’ I’m like for my very own pleasure. Is that unhealthy?”
