Ronda Rousey Releases Statement on Her UFC Future

Ronda Rousey took her first setback in mixed martial arts extremely hard. She even admitted to having fleeting thoughts of suicide race through her mind in the dressing room following her loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193.

Now, however, four months, a hosting stint on Saturday Night Live, and a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover later, Rousey appears to be recovering well. Nearly ever fighter of any note will say they learned more from a loss than any of their victories. Rousey is now falling into that category, as she’s learned how to cope with the disappointment and has started to use it as fuel to hopefully emerge a better fighter, and person, for it.

“A setback is not the end of the world, just the beginning of a lesson. It had to happen for me to learn certain things,” Rousey said at a recent Reebok-sponsored lecture, according to UFC.com.

For instance, she’s learned that to evolve, she didn’t have to be invulnerable.

“It’s not about being completely foolproof, it’s about evolving, and there is no room for evolution when it is perfect,” she continued. “I believe that things happen for a reason. Two, five, ten years we will see that this was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

It remains to be seen when, where, and against whom Rousey will next test her resolve in the Octagon. Rumors have ranged from her fighting anywhere from UFC 200 and beyond, while most speculation settles on sometime around November. Her next opponent will likely be either Holm or a challenge of current champion Miesha Tate, who took the belt from Holm in early March.

Regardless of the details, there are millions of fans around the globe waiting to see how Rousey’s return unfolds.