Is Ronda Rousey Retired? - Sportskeeda

Maybe your like

It is uncertain whether Ronda Rousey has retired from her MMA career or not. The former UFC women's champion never formally announced her retirement, but she has made clear that mixed martial arts is not a priority in her life anymore.

Together with Gina Carano, Cris Cyborg, and others, Ronda Rousey was one of the names that helped the women's MMA world gain credibility and female-headlined events as successful as the men's events.

Trending

Rousey built a legacy in the UFC women's bantamweight division. For over three years, Rousey could successfully defend her belt in Strikeforce and later in the UFC.

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

Rousey convinced almost everyone that she was unbeatable. With twelve straight wins - seven while being a titleholder - it looked like Rousey's grapplings skills were too much for anyone wishing to defeat her.

But after suffering two heavy losses in a row, Rousey decided to abandon the octagon. Many thought it would be only for some time; even Rousey herself considered returning - she hasn't officially retired as of yet.

pic.twitter.com/ZWSYDBX074 - On This Day 4 Years Ago “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey Vs. Holly Holm
— G M B (@GBarta42384) November 14, 2019

Expand Tweet Ad

But the more time that passes, the more it looks like Rousey's decision was definitive. She became involved with other professions - WWE and cinema - and MMA's importance in her life has continually deteriorated.

"There's not a day that goes by that people aren't telling me to fight. I have to try and think of it as, 'Would I rather be the greatest of all time, or have everybody think [that] I'm the greatest of all time?' It used to be so important to me to have both," said Ronda Rousey in an interview with USA Today. "But now, it is got to the point where I don't want to sacrifice myself and my family to prove that anymore to a bunch of people that don't give a sh*t about me.

"I know, and the people who love me know [what I have accomplished]. It's no longer a priority in my life. All the people that tell you, 'Come on, fight again! Do this again.' They would never do that for me," declared Ronda Rousey.

When did Ronda Rousey retire?

Although Ronda Rousey has not entered the octagon since the end of 2016, she has never properly acknowledged that she retired from MMA.

Following her surprising defeat to Holly Holm, it seemed like the former UFC women's bantamweight champion became disillusioned with her fighting career.

Even before returning to her next fight against Amanda Nunes, Rousey was already talking about stop fighting. In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, the former champ revealed her wish to retire.

"This is definitely one of my last fights. Everyone better watch because the show isn't going to be around forever," said Ronda Rousey.

But nobody had foreseen how tough her fight with the recently throned UFC women's bantamweight champion would be. Nunes completely dominated Rousey from the first few seconds of the duel.

In an act of mercy, referee Herb Dean intervened to stop the batter at only 48 seconds. Ronda Rousey never returned to the octagon since that fight with Nunes.

Four years ago today, Amanda Nunes retired Ronda Rousey in less than a minute 🔥 #mma pic.twitter.com/CntgUDrImx
— Mark Heath (@mark__heath) December 30, 2020

Expand Tweet

Read about: Ronda Rousey's Husband Travis Browne

× Feedback