Why did Ronda Rousey retire so early? This is a question many fans ask to this day. The reason might be far deeper than you think. UFC and MMA are extremely hard for a man with all the fighting and fear of brain damage. But maybe it is harder for a woman since the fear of brain damage is already there due to headshots, along with the pressure of representing other women. Ronda Rousey would know everything about this since, even after being one of the most dangerous female UFC fighters, she still has a four-year run in the promotion.

She fought eight times while defending her title six times, but even that did not lessen her fear. Rousey was so busy being the face of women’s MMA that maybe it cost her a longer career run with the UFC. Does she think the same, or is there any other reason for her short-lived career? Let’s check it out.

Ronda Rousey on the dangers of brain damage

Something that is not uncommon among UFC fighters is a head injury or a concussion. For us, this might be something to go to the hospital for, but to them, it is part and parcel of their daily job. However, it does not make it any easier to cope with head injuries. Rousey retired from the UFC eight years ago, but she still remembers how concussions gave her huge trouble. She transitioned from UFC to WWE, but in 2023, she finally left the combat world to become a writer and artist.

During her interview with SHAK MMA, she revealed the hard time she has had with concussions and head injuries and the fear that got ingrained in her because of it. The author of “Expecting the Unexpected” revealed what all UFC fighters go through and endure silently. Talking about the neurological damage that fighters face, she said, “If the concussions weren’t an issue, things would’ve happened completely differently.”

‘Rowdy’ spoke about how continuous head injuries due to head shots could lead fighters to end up in a wheelchair later in their lives. She said, “It’s not just them losing matches those are you know their brain is getting injured. That is going to hurt them later on in their life. They end up getting punched drunk or slurring, in wheelchairs and all of the stuff.”

The retired fighter clarified that as a fighter in UFC, no one was supposed to show their disadvantage or ailments. She also pointed out how, in the combat world, talking about this is seen as an excuse or weakness. Her experience with concussions started when she was a child attending swimming classes, and then it continued when she learned judo and finally became a professional UFC fighter.

Rousey did have regrets about her career, but she also had concerns about her neurological health, which might have been affected at an older age if she had not decided to retire. She also tried to prove the UFC CEO’s faith right by doing whatever she could to usher more women into the UFC. However, even Dana White remarked, “She had taken so much on her shoulders at the time, it was literally impossible for her to keep growing as a fighter during that period.”  This clearly took a toll on her from all aspects. 

‘The Baddest Woman on the Planet’ was on a winning streak before Holly Holm decided to strike. Rousey saw a huge setback in 2015, and that is when she had to choose between her health and her UFC career.

One fight that ended everything

‘Rowdy’ was not feeling good before fighting at UFC 193, and she also confessed to YouTuber Valeria Lipovetsky that she had concussed herself just before the match. She said, “My first loss, I was not, like, my mouth guard was bad; I came into that fight concussed from slipping down some stairs already after all these years of concussions.”

Unfortunately, the fight ended within 59 seconds, and since she was not one hundred percent healthy, she got knocked out for the first time in her career. This knockout almost knocked sense into her about her health and how much she had endured up until now. Rousey realized that her neurological health was taking all the brunt, and that realization made her achievements less enjoyable than they were. However, she did not open up to anyone about her health concerns because she was afraid of losing her career and sounding weak. She feared that if Dana White got to know about her concern, she would immediately ask her to retire, which she was not willing to do at 28.

Nevertheless, in 2023, she finally decided to prioritize her neurological health and retired from the combat world. She lives a quiet life as an author with her husband, Travis Browne, and the two teenage boys while still keeping in touch with the UFC world. Meanwhile, what do you think about Ronda Rousey’s confession of health problems that fighters go through?