Ronda Rousey did not officially retire from mixed martial arts but she believes she is the greatest fighter ever to step in the Octagon.
The former Ultimate Fighting Championship star was recently at the center of criticism after saying she left the World Wrestling Entertainment because of the ‘ungrateful fans.’
Prior to starting a career in professional wrestling way back March 2018, ‘Rowdy’ became the biggest pioneer of women’s mixed martial arts in the UFC.
She is only female fighter to defend a UFC title for seven consecutive times, a record that catapulted her name to the UFC Hall of Fame in July 2018.
She last fought in the cage in December 2017, when she suffered a technical knockout loss to Amanda Nunes, the second straight loss of her MMA career.
Three years since leaving the sport, ‘The Baddest Woman On The Planet’ revealed people have been urging her to make an MMA comeback but such move is no longer a priority in her life.
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Different Priority
Earlier this year, Rousey spoke to Steve-O and said returning to the cage is no longer an option as she focuses on a new chapter of her life as a family woman.
“There’s not a day that goes by that people aren’t telling me to fight,” Rousey shared, (transcipt from MMA Fighting).
“I have to try and think of it as, ‘Would I rather be the greatest of all time, or have everybody think I’m the greatest of all time?’”
“It used to be so important to me to have both. But now it’s 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 (expletive) about me.”
“I know, and the people who love me know (what I’ve 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.”
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MMA GOAT
The former UFC bantamweight queen said the transition from being a prized fighter to a family woman was not a walk in the park but leaving the UFC had helped her found her identity.
To this, Rousey said she doesn’t have to prove that she is the best female fighter to walk in the Octagon because she knows she is the ‘GOAT.’
“It’s hard when everyone around you, the value they have for you is how you fight, and how they see you is how you fight, and the only thing they think you have to offer is how you fight.”
“It was actually my husband that taught me I’m so much more than just a fighter.”
“I don’t have to fight myself into the ground to prove that I’m the greatest of all time when I already know that I am.”
“That’s something I really had to deal with stepping away from the UFC, was finding my identity without it, because I got so lost in it.”
Watch it below:
(Featured Image Source: Instagram/ Ronda Rousey)