Ronda Rousey Finally Reveals True Reason For Retirement

Ronda Rousey has revealed that her sudden MMA retirement at just 29 was due to her history of concussions. "I'd like people to understand my reasons and motivations behind things. I was forced to leave fighting when I was faster, stronger, more skilled and had a better understanding of the art than ever before. It was a really hard decision to understand, one that my body made for me. So much had to do with having so many concussions when I was in judo before I even got into MMA. I couldn't talk about it at all when I was doing MMA because it would literally put a target on my head and I might not have been allowed to compete any farther," Rousey said on Instagram Live.

Rousey retired after back-to-back knockout losses to Holly Holm. Prior to MMA, Rousey was an Olympic medalist in judo, taking bronze at the 2008 Games in Beijing. After leaving the UFC, Rousey turned to professional wrestling for a time. However, she also forged a film career for herself, appearing in Mile 22 after roles in The Expendables 3 and Furious 7.

Ronda Rousey Focused On Motherhood, Not Wrestling

Elsewhere, Rousey told TMZ that she has no immediate plans to return to wrestling, instead focusing on motherhood for the time being. There was speculation that after her contract with the WWE expired, she might move to the rival AEW promotion. However, that does not appear to be the case. "[I'm] just trying to be home with the family, and be a full-time mom," Rousey said. The speculation arose after Rousey made an appearance on Ring of Honor, a promotion owned by AEW, in November.

Rousey has mostly stepped away from sports since giving birth to her daughter, La'akea. She's been out of MMA since leaving the UFC in 2016. Furthermore, his time on the WWE, which began in 2018, has never been consistent. She has been used as a surprise gimmick here and there. The primary stint of her wrestling in 2023 has been with independent promotions such as Lucha VaVoom and Wrestling Revolver.

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