UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey is officially stepping back into the cage, but her long-awaited return has sparked serious conversations about her health.
After nearly a decade away from MMA competition, Ronda Rousey stunned the combat sports world by announcing her comeback fight against fellow pioneer Gina Carano under the Most Valuable Promotions banner.
The bout marks Rousey’s first fight since her loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207. While fans welcomed the news with excitement, concerns quickly followed due to Rousey’s past admissions about suffering repeated concussions throughout her career.
Now, Ronda Rousey says the story may not be what everyone believed. Speaking on The Jim Rome Show, Ronda Rousey explained that medical specialists believe her previous concussion symptoms may actually stem from severe migraines rather than long-term brain trauma.
“I lose big chunks of my vision, my depth perception and ability to think clearly. Dr. Charles Bernick at the Cleveland Clinic said, ‘I’ve listened to all of your symptoms, I’ve looked at all of your scans, your brain looks great,’” Rousey said.
The diagnosis came after extensive neurological testing at the Cleveland Clinic, where doctors reviewed her medical history in detail.
According to Rousey, migraines,which run in her family, may have been triggering symptoms that closely resemble concussions.
“I was telling him about my history and as a kid I would get migraines all the time and epilepsy runs in my family. Every generation of my family, someone’s had epilepsy, and there’s some sort of link between epilepsy and migraines,” Rousey explained.
“He was saying that people that get migraines are more susceptible to getting concussions, and the more concussions I get, the easier it is to get a migraine.”
Doctors now believe Rousey experiences what is known as a migraine aura rather than repeated concussive trauma.
“What he thinks is happening is that I’m not actually getting a concussion every single time that this is happening,” Rousey continued. “He thinks it’s setting off what’s called migraine aura where you just lose big chunks of your vision… that’s why I lose chunks of my vision when I’m getting hit.”
Before committing to a comeback, Ronda Rousey reached out to UFC CEO Dana White to discuss the possibility of fighting again. White’s first concern was not business, it was her health.
“When I first approached Dana, he was like, ‘First of all I want to make sure that you’re OK,’” Rousey revealed.
White arranged comprehensive neurological evaluations, which ultimately gave Rousey clarity after years of uncertainty.
“Thanks to Dana sending me to the Cleveland Clinic, I finally got a positive diagnosis and really know what’s going on and have some actionable knowledge to work off of,” she said.
For years, Ronda Rousey believed repeated concussions forced her retirement following knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes.
“To me I was like I’m not dying! CTE isn’t coming to get me!” Rousey said. “There’s actually stuff we can do about it.”
She added that doctors recently found preventative migraine treatment that could help control symptoms moving forward.
“Just recently we’ve been able to find something that I can take that’s preventative that will hopefully be able to resolve this issue for me. It’s life changing.”
Despite the medical progress, Rousey remains realistic about the dangers of combat sports.
“Of course, I’m going to be going into the fight with the intention of not getting hit once because that’s basically what I’ve had to do my entire career.”
Even with encouraging medical results, Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano will undergo rigorous evaluations before receiving final clearance to compete. California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Foster confirmed both fighters must pass extensive testing ahead of their scheduled return bout.
The comeback represents more than just another fight for Rousey. It closes a chapter defined by unanswered health concerns and opens a new one fueled by medical clarity, renewed confidence, and unfinished business inside the cage.
After years away from MMA, Ronda Rousey believes she finally understands her body and now she’s ready to prove she still belongs in the fight game.
