Dana White thinks Ronda Rousey ‘probably’ will retire

"I think people realize she's probably going to retire."
HONG KONG – AUGUST 20: UFC President Dana White and UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey at a Q&A session during the Macao UFC Fight Night Press Conference at the Four Season Hotel on August 20, 2014 in Hong Kong. (Photo by Anthony Kwan/Getty Images)

Ronda Rousey had a brilliant start to her career by going a perfect 12-0.

Rousey, 30, is now 12-2 due to back-to-back losses after being previously undefeated.

The UFC fighter’s first loss was on November 15th, 2015 to Holly Holm by a KO. Over a year later on December 30th, 2016, Rousey lost again, this time by TKO to Amanda Nunes.

Since then, Rousey hasn’t been inside a ring during a UFC event and it looks like she may never be inside one again.

“I think people realize she’s probably going to retire,” UFC President Dana White told ESPN.

Since she lost to Nunes in December of 2016, Rousey hasn’t come out and said she’s done. Really, she hasn’t said anything about any sort of future for her in UFC at all since that fight.

Due in part to her lack of public comments about her future in UFC, White thinks her career in the ring is over. As of now, White said there are no ongoing discussions with her about a next fight.

Rousey’s fall from greatness comes four years after White in 2013 was convinced by Rousey’s success to begin promoting women. However, because of her back-to-back stunning losses, Rousey doesn’t seem remotely interested in the UFC and her past success.

“That’s not because she had to, that’s the way Ronda Rousey is built,” White said about Rousey. “Ronda Rousey is super competitive and doesn’t like to lose. I know she’s been criticized for that by a lot of people, but that’s just who she is and the way she is.

“And the way she is, is what made everybody get behind her. It’s what blew up the women’s divisions. Now she’s going to move on to the next chapter of her life, get married and have kids, do that thing. It’s not sad, it’s the way she wanted it.”

White was later asked about the potential of Rousey coming back and his response was simple.

“I don’t know,” White said. “I don’t know if I’d want her to. The way she came in, the way everything went — it was perfect.

“I’ve never been one of those promoters that looks at, ‘Oh, imagine how much money I can make if Ronda Rousey comes back’ or the Chuck Liddells, all those guys. I’m actually the guy who, when somebody even hints at retiring, says, ‘I think you should retire.’

“No matter how big of a star you are, once you’ve retired, you should probably stay retired and move on, build that next chapter of your life.”

[ESPN]

About David Lauterbach

David is a writer for The Comeback. He enjoyed two Men's Basketball Final Four trips for Syracuse before graduating in 2016. If The Office or Game of Thrones is on TV, David will be watching.

Quantcast
arrow