When Ronda Rousey got knocked out by Holly Holm at UFC 193 in a match where she lost both her Bantamweight Championship and her dream of retiring undefeated, there were a variety of reactions. Some people laughed and lauded the loss over Rousey, thinking she’d brought it upon herself by buying into her own hype. Some folks lamented the loss as as marking the moment their hero fell from grace. Some were just surprised and/or happy for a promising talent in Holly Holm. Joe Rogan looked like a kid who just found out Santa isn’t real. We’re pretty sure Dana White is still waiting for certain appendages to drop back into place after losing his “big money draw” that was the mythic, legend-in-the-making career of Rousey.
Doubtless, though, everyone was wondering what Rousey herself thought of the loss. She’s bee abnormally quiet since the KO, but has steadily been coming back into the public eye.
Now, with an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Tuesday, we can hear directly from Rousey herself about how she was and is feeling.
Those are some brutal details, and the fact that she contemplated suicide shows just how deeply this loss cut into how she views herself. However, it’s encouraging to hear about what is was that made her want to end everything: her boyfriend and the thought of a life left to live.
What that demonstrates is that there is always hope and that, in Rousey’s own words, “being defeated is a choice.” That’s a good thing to glean from a loss of that magnitude.
