Ronda Rousey became the first woman to sign with the UFC in 2012; from the start, she made a huge impact. ‘Rowdy’ quickly became a fan favorite with her dominant performances and fearless attitude. But despite all the love and success, she suddenly walked away from MMA. Now, years later, Rousey has opened up about what she was going through, revealing that she battled serious neurological issues toward the end of her fighting career.
One of Rousey’s most iconic moments was her 14-second armbar win over Cat Zingano, but she was silently battling something far more serious behind the scenes. On a recent episode of the UNTAPPED podcast, the former UFC champion opened up about the frightening toll her fighting career took on her health.
Rousey revealed she would sometimes go nearly blind mid-fight, losing her depth perception and ability to react, things crucial for any fighter. On the Podcast, Rousey said:
“I’d get hit and I’d basically lose big chunks of my vision and my depth perception and my ability to track movements quickly and make snap decisions, which is all the things that I need and I thought I have a concussion, I’m out on my feet, but I wouldn’t be stumbling around. I didn’t lose my balance.”
Doctors later told her that repeated impacts were causing her neurons to overload and shut down, a condition that left her feeling helpless. For Rousey, it wasn’t just about stepping away from fighting but protecting her future.
Ronda Rousey Says Even 100 Versions Of Herself Couldn’t Take Down One Gorilla
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Rousey has done it all: Olympic medalist, UFC champion, WWE star, and she’s no stranger to real combat. But even with all that experience, Rousey knows her limits. While chatting on a podcast, she weighed in on the viral “100 people vs. one gorilla” debate and didn’t sugarcoat her answer.
“I think people are underestimating how f*cking gnarly a gorilla is. Have you seen a gorilla? No chance in hell,” Rousey said.
She wasn’t convinced even when asked if 100 versions of herself could take one down. She admitted the numbers might help in theory, but the gorilla’s raw power and durability would be too much. “In any kind of long fight, we’re toast,” she implied, giving props to the animal kingdom’s true beast.
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