Breaking Down “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey’s Retirement – Part 1

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What does Ronda Rousey’s statement about retiring in two years entail?

Part 1 – The countdown begins…

Assuming that Rousey does actually retire after another two years of fighting, regardless of what kind of enticements and endorsements are thrown her way from the UFC and other MMA affiliates, then there are a few things that Rousey would have to accomplish from the perspective of a fight fan.

First and foremost, Rousey has to decide what she wants her legacy as a mixed martial artist to be right at this very moment.  New champions don’t typically throw out time frames for their careers so explicitly, but Rousey is clearly not your typical champion.  She can’t be a part time MMA fighter and part time Hollywood action star.  If Rousey wants to pursue a career in Hollywood, more power to her.  She’s got tons of charisma and is winning more fans every day with her combination of talent, personality and looks.

But she is the champion.  There are hungry, starving (metaphorically) fighters in her division who are gunning to climb the ladder and be the best.  No fighter is good enough to fend off all comers successfully unless they are completely focused and single minded.  Rousey is seemingly in danger of heading in that direction.

If Rousey wants to cement herself as the greatest, which just doesn’t seem like a priority for her anymore, then she has a lot to do in two years.  If she wants to be remembered as the greatest female mixed martial artist ever, it’s entirely within her capabilities.  But two years just won’t be enough time, especially if those two years are filled with movie roles and commitments.

It seems like at this point Rousey would be content with being a successful champion, then leaving the sport as a winner, as one of the most dominant female fighters of all time.  There are a few fights she would have to take and win, but if she came out on top, she would be remembered as a woman who did a lot to help the sport grow and women’s MMA in particular.

Speaking strictly in terms of MMA, she has the potential to accomplish a whole lot more than that. Stay tuned for Part 2…

 

What does Ronda Rousey’s statement about retiring in two years entail?

Dan is a new addition to the InsideFights team. When not teaching at the local college during his day job, he likes to ride his fixed gear bicycle around town. Given the choice, he'd rather bike than drive any day (ride on!). He also enjoys trying new craft beers and vegetarian/vegan foods, playing guitar, writing fiction and of course, catching up on all things MMA. Dan currently lives in Los Angeles with his awesome wife.