MMA legend Ronda Rousey has been firm in her decision never to return to the cage, but she recently revealed that she’s finding her way back to her first love, MMA.
Rousey has been out of the octagon for nine years, spending much of that time with her family, raising her kids, making video game appearances, and occasionally headlining in WWE. Before retirement, she was a pioneer in women’s MMA and a trailblazer who helped grow the sport. However, toward the end of her career, Rousey admitted she began to resent MMA and doubted she would ever return.
That perspective shifted when she shared a social media post about falling in love with the sport again. In the post, she uploaded a training clip taken eight weeks after the birth of her second child.
“From eight weeks after having a baby and eight years of stepping away from MMA to eight months postpartum and finding my love for it again,” Rousey wrote in the caption. “The first clip is my first session working with [coach AJ Matthews]. I was super self-conscious, embarrassed at how much I regressed, and honestly trying my very best not to pee my pants throwing punches so soon after having baby Pā’ū.
“Second clip was yesterday. I’ve never laughed or smiled so much on the mat as I do these days. The last six months have been an absolute blast. It feels like I have so much left to grow, and without the weight of the world on my shoulders, nothing is holding me back.”
Rousey last competed in late 2016, when Amanda Nunes stopped her via TKO in just 48 seconds. The fight came after her first career loss, a brutal head-kick knockout by Holly Holm. Following her MMA exit, “Rowdy” transitioned to professional wrestling, where she had a successful run in WWE before parting ways with the company in 2023.
