Daniel Cormier believes the flak Ronda Rousey is getting from the fight community for her comments about how CTE contributed to an early retirement from MMA is unwarranted.

In her heyday, Rousey was lauded as one of the most dominant athletes on the planet. However, all that came crumbling down as she suffered her first MMA loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193 in 2015 and her subsequent loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207.

In a recent appearance on the Not Alone podcast hosted by Valeria Lipovetsky, the 37-year-old recalled how concussions affected her in the bout against ‘The Preacher’s’ daughter. Rousey said:

“I literally came into that fight concussed from slipping down some stairs already after all these years fo concussion… And I was out on the feet for the entire fight. I was trying to make it look like I wasn’t hurt, but I wasn’t there cognitively. I couldn’t think as fast. I couldn’t judge distance. And just from that one fight, everybody felt like, ‘Oh, she is a fraud.'”

Catch Ronda Rousey’s comments below (15:07):

‘Rowdy’ also discussed her concussion-riddled history in her new book, Our Fight: A Memoir.

In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Cormier defended the inaugural UFC women’s bantamweight champion for revelations regarding her struggles with CTE, saying:

“She’s [Ronda] always one people wanted to critique even if it was unjust. So when she lost to Holly it was almost like the world celebrated… I don’t know how she couldn’t have had those issues [concussions] because I understand how difficult it is to do the sport [judo] that she did Olympic level… I don’t disagree with her as much as most might because all she is doing is telling her truth. And she is writing a book and when writing that book and promoting it, somebody probably looked in that book and found something where she spoke about concussions and then it becomes something more.”

Catch Daniel Cormier’s comments about Ronda Rousey below (37:45):

When Ronda Rousey lauded Daniel Cormier “as the best in the game”

Ronda Rousey thinks highly of Daniel Cormier. In 2018, when ‘DC’ was still tearing it up in the UFC, ‘Rowdy’ considered him the best fighter in MMA.

Talking to TMZ Sports in 2018, the former WWE superstar said:

“I think right now, yeah. He is the best in the game right now. I’d say so. Well-rounded, [former] Olympic [wrestling] team captain you don’t get that kind of position for nothing.”

Catch Ronda Rousey’s comments below (1:35):

Cormier retired with an MMA record of 22-3 and one no-contest. He is a former two-division champion in the UFC having captured both the light heavyweight and heavyweight titles.