“My Mom Had Me on the Floor…”: Ronda Rousey Reveals How an ACL Injury Changed Her Life Forever Before Becoming a Global Icon

Injuries usually hold back the best athletes. Those in combat sports constantly put their bodies in the line of fire. Especially ones in MMA, such as Ronda Rousey. The former UFC champion recently suffered an injury on her elbow, which could rule her out for WrestleMania, putting her status for the event and her future with the company in doubt.

However, this latest setback won’t affect the Olympic Bronze judoka, as she has gone through far worse injuries in the past. Recently, ‘The Baddest Woman on the Planet’ detailed how she gets better because of her injuries.

Ronda Rousey gets better with injuries

In a recent Instagram post, Rousey posted a clip of her slowly training and improving an injured leg while noting that there is no ACL or cartilage in her right knee. The athlete suffered a severe Anterior Crucial Ligament(ACL) injury and had to go through reconstructive surgery at the age of 16.

However, Rousey didn’t call it quits there. Her firm resolve and determination made her work hard, despite the injury. ‘The Rowdy One’ also shared how her mother inspired her to get back up and start kicking again.

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Rousey wrote, “2 weeks after my ACL reconstruction (at 16 years old) My mom had me on the floor doing pushups to teach me a lesson: you can sit around and feel sorry for yourself, or get off your mopey ass and train with a vengeance.”

These words from her mother resonated a lot with young Rousey, who took it upon herself to push her limits and work beyond normal. Ultimately, she proved the world wrong by training hard and becoming a world-renowned combat sports athlete, despite the adverse circumstances.

Rousey used her time to improve herself and become the best

Many fans know that Ronda Rousey is an Olympic judoka. However, ‘Rowdy’ revealed that her ACL injury had a major role to play in that. Rousey was off the mat for about a year because of her ACL surgery, at 16 years of age. D

During this time, she mastered a technique called “Newaza”, which drastically improved her fighting abilities.

Rousey said “It’s thanks to that ACL injury I spent an entire year focusing solely on newaza (ground techniques in judo) and became the best in the world in armbars and transitions”

Therefore, Rousey made the best use of her time to come back stronger than ever and turn her adversity into an advantage. Hence, her latest arm injury won’t prove a major hurdle. Rousey knows how to fight back from such situations and will continue to do so.

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