The world was taken aback by the Ronda Rousey loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207, but not just by the fact that she lost, but how she lost.
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The Rousey that entered the octagon this time was only a shell of the “baddest woman on the planet” seen in fights past, though credit must also go to Nunes, who seemed to have the right skill set to counter Rousey’s vaunted grappling abilities.
UFC head honcho Dana White spoke on the UFC post-fight show about Rousey’s status (via MMA Alpha). He said “I met with her backstage after and hung out with her for about 45 minutes and ya know, I’ll tell you this. She’s in better spirits this time than she was after the Holly Holm fight ya know. She’s very competitive, she does not like to lose, she loves to win, and she loves to do what she sets out to do. Tonight wasn’t her night, and none of this would be here without Ronda Rousey. Ronda Rousey built this. She talked me into letting women come into the UFC, and it’s the smartest thing that I’ve ever done, so regardless of whether she comes back or doesn’t come back, she’s a winner. She built this whole thing.”
When asked if this is the last time fans will see her in the octagon, White said “I don’t know. Ya know, Ronda obviously needs to go home, take some time. She’s very rich, she doesn’t need to fight anymore. She’s super competitive. Maybe she wants to, I don’t know, we’ll see what happens.”
White was also asked about Nunes (via f4wonline). He said “that he could’ve spent $100 million promoting her before this and no one would have known who she was. After this win, everyone knows her and he thinks she’ll be a big star going forward.”
Where Rousey goes from here is a mystery, but hopefully she won’t retreat back into seclusion like she did after the Holm fight. There are rumors that she was already talking to WWE about a possible run, and they could definitely spin it as a story about regaining her past glory if that turns out to be the case.
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