Ronda Rousey believes the game of MMA has an actual downside relating to how legends are handled and remembered on the finish of their careers.
Extensively heralded as one of many best champions in UFC historical past and already inducted the promotion’s the Corridor of Fame, Rousey was undoubtedly a dominant power of nature who nearly single handedly pressured Dana White’s hand when it got here to bringing girls into the promotion. She was a multi-time defending champion and shared area with Conor McGregor as two of essentially the most marketable and impactful fighters to ever compete within the UFC.
However Rousey’s profession ended with back-to-back knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, and he or she witnessed firsthand how shortly the game can activate you while you go from the best highs to the bottom lows.
“MMA followers and media are essentially the most what have you ever performed recently for us crowd of any sport,” Rousey informed Bert Kreischer on his podcast. “You have a look at WWE and so they have such a reverence for his or her legends. In MMA, it’s just like the second that you simply’re not on high, you’re not shit and also you by no means have been shit.”
Rousey mentioned she discovered a precious lesson after transferring from UFC to WWE, and he or she noticed the dramatic distinction in how followers handled legends {of professional} wrestling versus her counterparts within the UFC.
Whereas previous superstars like Triple H, Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker are nonetheless regularly celebrated in WWE, Rousey noticed how shortly followers and media deserted all-time nice UFC champions after losses.
“Chuck Liddell, when he’s on high, ‘He’s one of the best, he’s one of the best.’ The second that he loses, ‘Oh Chuck Liddell ain’t shit, he by no means was shit,’” Rousey mentioned. “‘Rampage’ Jackson, oh my god he’s the subsequent Mike Tyson, he’s so nice!’ The second he loses, ‘Rampage’ ain’t shit, he by no means was shit. [Georges St-Pierre], ‘Oh he loses, he’s not shit, he by no means was shit.’ Anderson Silva, oh my God he was nearly like a legendary creature for some time. He was like this ninja, and he would hypnotize everybody in entrance of him. The second he loses, ‘Anderson ain’t shit, he by no means was shit.’ Fedor Emelianenko, one of many best ever. The second he loses, ‘Fedor ain’t shit, he by no means was shit.’”
Rousey particularly addressed the fandom surrounding former UFC light-weight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and the way he maintains such respect and honor even after retirement.
She believes all of it actually boils all the way down to Nurmagomedov retiring undefeated whereas nonetheless holding onto a UFC title as a result of one loss doubtless would have modified all the things.
“I feel the one purpose why MMA followers have their lips so firmly planted on the base of Khabib’s c*ck is as a result of he retired earlier than he reached his restrict,” Rousey mentioned. “If he stored combating till he reached his restrict, all people could be ‘Khabib ain’t shit, he by no means was shit’.
“They’re like that with all people. Title one particular person. ‘Brock [Lesnar] ain’t shit, he by no means was shit.’ Title one previous champion that has the type of respect that the present champions do. It’s actually unhappy as a result of I feel it encourages folks to get out whereas they’re peaking and leaving and taking all of that fairness with them as a substitute of passing it on to whoever’s subsequent to take up the mantle.”
When it got here to her personal profession, Rousey usually spoke about retiring undefeated as a result of she needed to go down as the best of all time however it seems her motivation ran a little bit deeper than that.
Rousey hoped by leaving the game and not using a single blemish on her résumé that she could be remembered fondly and with nice esteem from fighters, followers, and media.
“I needed to retire undefeated as a result of I used to be so afraid of all the things that I completed goes to be nothing if I ever lose,” Rousey mentioned. “So I’ve to retire undefeated. It wasn’t till I received into the WWE and noticed that wait, you must retire on a loss.
“Everyone in WWE has to retire on a loss as a result of you must go that torch on, and I feel everybody in MMA, they’re going to attempt to take the torch with them due to how the followers reply to it.”
Regardless of Rousey’s objections, fighters largely retire off losses fairly than wins, however she believes that would change for a number of the most notable champions, particularly in the event that they wish to go away a legacy behind.
Add to that, Rousey seems like the general public speaking about MMA have by no means really performed the game and that they lack perspective on what athletes really undergo.
“The followers, a variety of them have by no means fought,” Rousey mentioned. “It’s not like soccer the place lots of people who watch have performed soccer. They don’t perceive how brief your shelf life is and the way each battle adjustments you. Even when the battle you got here out unscathed, you didn’t come out of the coaching camp unscathed.
“You’ll be able to’t stick with it for very lengthy. It’s simply the human physique. You’re taking influence to the top. That is your f*cking mind. We are able to’t make your mind stronger or extra calloused. There’s a restrict to how a lot you possibly can take. As quickly as anyone reaches that restrict, you ain’t shit, you by no means have been shit.”
