Ronda Rousey Has ‘No Regrets’ Regarding Her UFC Career

Ronda Rousey may have moved onto a new career in professional wrestling but as arguably one of the greatest women’s fighters of all time, she will always be associated in some way with mixed martial arts.

Unfortunately, Rousey’s career in the UFC ended on the exact opposite end of the spectrum compared to how it began as she suffered back-to-back knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes.

Since that time, Rousey has struggled to even address those defeats as she’s preferred to avoid that particular subject all together.

It turns out, Rousey was actually looking for an exit strategy prior to her last couple of losses as she had already accomplished so much in her UFC career than she wasn’t sure what else was left to add onto her resume. Still, Rousey decided to stick around longer than she originally wanted but at the very least she feels satisfied knowing that she helped cement the women’s divisions with a permanent home in the UFC.

“Judo and MMA, there were times when the process was fun and then there were times where it got to be only the results were fun. Then there’s time when things just run their course. You fall in love and you fall out of love and then you find a new love,” Rousey told ESPN this week.

“There was a while where I was just looking for an honorable way out [of MMA]. Cause I felt satisfied, like I proved everything I needed to prove but I didn’t feel like anybody else felt that way. I wasn’t sure that the women’s division could survive without me. So I felt obligated to do more than I actually wanted to do.”

As disappointing as those final two fights must have been, Rousey says ultimately she has no regrets about her career with the UFC considering all the things she accomplished.

UFC president Dana White has credited Rousey as the sole reason he brought women into the organization and she rose to superstardom in the promotion, eventually becoming one of the biggest draws in the sport.

Add to that, Rousey still holds the record for most title defenses in the women’s divisions with six and her initial run in the UFC may never be matched by any fighter ever again.

“I have no regrets and I’m still happy that I fulfilled those obligations and I really do feel like the women’s division can hold its own now and I’m proud of all the work that I did there,” Rousey said. “I don’t need anyone else’s approval to be proud of myself.”