Ronda Rousey is preparing for one of the most anticipated comebacks in combat sports but the biggest surprise isn’t just her return. It’s who she has standing in her corner.
Ahead of her showdown with Gina Carano, Ronda Rousey has teamed up with a coach she once couldn’t stand. It’s a full-circle moment that highlights just how much has changed since her early UFC days.
During her time on The Ultimate Fighter, Rousey found herself on the opposite side of longtime rival Miesha Tate and that meant dealing with Tate’s coach, Ricky Lundell. At the time, Rousey admits she couldn’t stand him.
“We were mortal enemies,” Rousey said. “He was coaching against me on The Ultimate Fighter and he was so nice, I was like, this guy is so patronizing and fake and I hated his guts.”
Rousey didn’t trust Lundell’s personality, mistaking his calm and respectful demeanor for something insincere.
“This is a common theme,” she added. “He’s so nice that everyone thinks it’s not real. You think he’s being passive-aggressive, but he’s actually the nicest person you’ll ever meet. So nice that you don’t think it’s real.”
Even after defeating Tate and moving on with her career, Rousey held onto that resentment. Things didn’t change immediately even when her now-husband, Travis Browne, started training with Lundell.
“I was still like, ‘f*ck that guy,’” Rousey said. “He tried to help somebody hurt me, so he was dead to me.”
During one of the most difficult periods of her life, following devastating losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, Rousey found herself in a dark place mentally. It was during that time that she stayed at Lundell’s home while Browne trained, and everything began to change.
“I fell into a deep depression,” Rousey said. “I was just in one room all day, playing games, smoking, and barely coming out. But he was really nice. He made sure I had food, a place to stay, and space to just be.”
Over time, respect replaced resentment. Rousey eventually began working with Lundell, even helping him pursue his own journey in judo. What started as a reluctant connection grew into a genuine bond—and ultimately played a role in her return to fighting.
“The thought came into my mind,” Rousey said. “I was like, ‘Oh, I should fight Gina. That would be such a great fight. It would be huge.’”
From there, the pieces fell into place. The fight with Carano gained traction and eventually landed under a major promotion banner, setting the stage for Rousey’s first fight in nearly a decade.
According to Lundell, he knew exactly what was happening the moment she reached out.
“She called me and said, ‘Do you have a minute to talk?’” Lundell recalled. “I said, ‘Who are we fighting?’ She just started laughing.”
Now, as Ronda Rousey prepares for her long-awaited return, she credits Lundell as a key figure in her journey back.
“This is all because of Ricky,” she said. “I went from hating his guts to him changing my life for the better. I’ll always be grateful. He started as my student, and now I’m his student.”
