Retirement is never a sure thing in sports, especially in mixed martial arts. If Dana White was a betting man, and we know he is, he would likely bet that Ronda Rousey has put down her four-ounce gloves for good.
In an interview with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, the UFC President talked about the former UFC Bantamweight Champion and her life after MMA.
“I think people realize she’s probably going to retire,” White told ESPN.
“Now she’s going to move on to the next chapter of her life, get married and have kids, do that thing. It’s not sad, it’s the way she wanted it.”
Dana also said in the interview that Rousey’s competitiveness has led to her quick exit from the sport.
“Ronda Rousey is super competitive and doesn’t like to lose. I know she’s been criticized for that by a lot of people, but that’s just who she is and the way she is. And the way she is, is what made everyone get behind her.”
Rousey’s retirement isn’t a sure thing yet. She is still under the USADA drug testing program, but hasn’t been tested in 2017, according to USADA’s website.
White says that he would never try and force Rousey out of a potential retirement to benefit the UFC.
“I’ve never been one of those promoters that looks at, ‘Oh, imagine how much money I can make if Ronda Rousey comes back’ or the Chuck Liddells, all those guys. I’m actually the guy who, when somebody even hints at retiring, says, ‘I think you should retire.’”
Rousey has yet to talk about retirement or her loss to Amanda Nunes after UFC 207. She appeared on “Live with Kelly and Ryan” last month in her first public interview since the loss, but wasn’t asked about her MMA career. She instead talked about her engagement to UFC Heavyweight Travis Browne and a recent robbery scare.
Rousey did release a statement to ESPN in January a day after her Nunes loss, thanking fans for their support and explaining that she needed time to think about her future.
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