Ronda Rousey has admitted in a new interview with ESPN The Magazine that she’s ashamed of the way she fought against Holly Holm at UFC 193 last month, but despite being knocked out in devastating fashion via a head kick it’s clear that she has every intention of getting back into the Octagon to avenge her first ever loss.
According to Rousey she was rocked by a punch from Holm as early as 30 seconds into the fight and that completely threw her off her game. Still dazed, with her legs weakened from the impact and her judgement clouded, Rousey decided to just bite down on her mouthpiece and keep fighting, but from that moment on she wasn’t fighting the way she knows she can.
“It was like a dumbed-down dreamy version of yourself making decisions,” Rousey explained. “I was just trying to shake myself out of it. I kept saying to myself, ‘You’re OK, keep fighting. You’re OK, keep fighting.’”
“I just feel so embarrassed. How I fought after that is such an embarrassing representation of myself. I wasn’t even f*cking there.”
After her unbeaten run came to an end in such definitive fashion, being rendered unconscious in the second round many wondered whether Rousey would ever return to the sport, but for someone with her competitive drive it seems that walking away at this point is simply not an option.
“I need to come back,” Rousey said. “I need to beat this chick. Who knows if I’m going to pop my teeth out or break my jaw or rip my lip open again. I have to f*cking do it. It doesn’t matter. I have to do it.”
So the rematch is definitely on, but it’s not going to happen any time soon as Rousey is suffering from loose teeth as a result of the fight and so it could be up to six months before she’s able to train properly.
Further down the line though, Rousey claims that if she isn’t able to avenge her loss to Holm then she’ll call it quits.
“I guess it’s all going to be determined by what happens in the rematch. Everything is going to be determined by that. Either I’ll win and keep going or I won’t and I’ll be done with everything.”
