MMA fighter and burgeoning action star Ronda Rousey has been placed on an extended medical leave and many believe that this might signal the end of what was seemingly an unblemished career until this past Sunday when the former undefeated champion was brought to her knees by Holly Holm during a match in Melbourne, Australia.
The Furious 7 star’s stunning loss seems to have instigated a brutal onslaught of jokes and digs from a surprising number of celebs who have evidently been waiting patiently to see Rousey knocked to the ground by a worthier opponent.
Right after her bloody knockout – the woman who famously declared that she could take on Floyd Mayweather if he dared to challenge her was transported to a hospital for cautionary measures. She also tweeted her appreciation to fans and confirmed her return to the ring in an effort to restore her now slightly tarnished reputation.
But it looks like we will be waiting a very long time for Rousey’s victorious return. And if UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo has anything to add to the equation it would be that he is certain that Rousey’s boxing career is pretty much over.
Aldo who is admittedly a big fan of women’s MMA –
acknowledged to media outlet Nova Uniao that Holm’s immense track record proves why it was so easy for her lay the lethal punch that changed Rousey’s unblemished status irrevocably. “Holm was a multiple-time champion in boxing and was able to do her thing standing, and I knew Holm would win if she kept it standing”.
Okay, so Rousey isn’t infinitely unbeatable – that’s not necessarily a trait that is unfathomable when you consider that every top athlete in any genre has experienced the jarring pain of defeat at least once.
So why is everyone convinced that Rousey will not be able to bounce back from what should be a temporary setback?
Aldo answers that question by first pointing out that women’s MMA isn’t comparable to the men’s version which has no room for champions who take a major stumble. Basically the guys fight to win al the time and the women fight to show they can keep up with their male counterparts.
“Athletes have to be good standing and on the ground today. You have to be good wherever the fight goes and that’s how I try to be”. “I like to watch women’s MMA more than men fighting because they always do their best and fight hard”.
Sounds like the Brazilian champion is being expectedly condescending about the idea of women partaking in a sport that men typically dominate. Sexism at its best.
Nevertheless – Aldo is quite hopeful that Rousey will survive her life outside the ring by embracing her acting career which seems to be picking up steam. Like Gina Carano before her, Rousey will most likely segue her talents into a sport that won’t challenge her defense mechanisms.
“I think it’s really hard for her to return to fighting”. “Her career is has taken a different direction. If I’m making a lot of money doing movies or something else, I’d go that direction too”.
He goes on to reiterate Rousey’s contribution to women’s MMA by praising her accomplishments and trailblazing efforts, “I think the legacy Ronda leaves behind is that she changed women’s MMA”. “She put it where no one ever imagined, where even Dana White said it would never be, and it is now. That’s her legacy. She has done a lot for women’s sport”.
We couldn’t agree more! However we definitely anticipate Rousey’s triumphant return to the sport she helped revolutionize.
The countdown begins!