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Ronda Rousey details ‘self-destructive thoughts’ after Dana White phone call before devastating Holly Holm KO
Ronda Rousey has revealed she suffered ‘self-destructive thoughts’ before she was knocked out by Holly Holm. Rousey’s life changed forever 10 year ago after her first career defeat to Holm in front of more than 56,000 fans at UFC 193. GettyRousey met Holm in Melbourne, Australia in front of 56,000 fans 10 years ago[/caption] At the time, ‘Rowdy’ was undefeated in 12 professional bouts, including six straight wins in the UFC during a dominating spell in Dana White’s promotion. Having just knocked out Bethe Correia in just 34 seconds at UFC 190 Brazil in August 2015, Rousey received an urgent phone call from UFC CEO Dana White. He pleaded with Rousey to step up and save the UFC 193 card in Australia after MMA veteran Robbie Lawler withdrew from his main event with Carlos Condit due to a hand injury. This meant that Rousey would have to step back into the Octagon sooner than expected only three months after her win over Correira. In a powerful reflection on that pivotal moment, Rousey recounts in her memoir, ‘Our Fight,’ how her internal struggles had been consuming her, leading to the brutal KO that ultimately change her career forever. “I’ve always had trouble with intrusive thoughts, like if you say: ‘Try not to think of a blue duck,’ I will keep thinking of a blue duck constantly to remind myself not to think of the blue duck,” she said. “The harder I tried to push a thought out, the more I’d be consumed by it. Only it wasn’t the blue ducks, it was self-destructive thoughts. “I was living a bucket-list life, and yet, I constantly found myself thinking about dwelling on horrible things that happened years before or ways that everything I had worked for could all be taken away – and then I just couldn’t stop thinking of them. “Outside I exuded confidence, but inside I constantly battled these fears.” Rousey was reluctant to accept the Holy fight at first, but felt her commitment to White, which she describes as a ‘blood oath,’ meant she had no choice but to say yes. Rousey said she kept pressuring Holm to hide that she was hurtGetty After losing the first round, Rousey was brutally knocked out in the secondAFP - Getty “‘F***,’ I sighed as I hung up the phone from Dana. For the first time since my MMA career started, I didn’t feel raring to fight. I just felt tired,” she said. Fight night then quickly approached as Rousey explained key moments when she found herself constantly battling with her own mental demons far before she stood toe-to-toe with Holm. One of them came when her hairdresser mentioned that an itchy palm was back luck, and from then onwards Rousey’s palm ‘itched incessantly, accompanied by a feeling of foreboding.’ “I’m the baddest b**** on the planet, why is an itchy palm f***ing me up so much? I’d ask myself, but I didn’t have an answer,” Rousey recalled. Rousey also said coming face-to-face with her hectic schedule, as she was the star of the show, and her mum’s hatred towards her coach, Edmond, handed her even more issues to deal with. She also cited repeating the phrase: ‘Be the best on your worst day,’ over and over again when all seemed to be going against her. Ronda Rousey's UFC career End of an era Loss to Amanda Nunes via first-round TKO/KO at UFC 207 in December 2016 Loss to Holly Holm via first-round TKO/KO at UFC 193 in November 2015 (dropped bantamweight title) Win over Bethe Correia via first-round TKO/KO at UFC 190 in August 2015 Win over Cat Zingano via first-round submission at UFC 184 in February 2015 Win over Alexis Davis via first-round TKO/KO at UFC 175 in July 2014 Win over Sara McMann via first-round TKO/KO at UFC 170 in February 2014 Win over Miesha Tate via third-round submission at UFC 168 in December 2013 Win over Liz Carmouche via first-round submission at UFC 157 in February 2013 (won bantamweight title on debut in first-ever women’s UFC fight) Rousey told herself repeatedly to ‘be the best on your worst day’AFP Her popularity was so big at the time that White ordered security detail to follow her everyday, saying it was about protecting the top UFC champions. Weeks out from the fight, Rousey’s struggles started to ramp up after she ‘blacked out’ getting scales from her car, which added an extra pain to the six knee surgeries she had already undergone since she first torn her ACL at 16. Her last two hurdles came on fight night when she was forced to use a gum shield that hadn’t been molded properly and tripped in the walk out to her fight. “In fifteen previous fights, I had never stumbled,” Rousey explained. “Did that just happen? I asked myself, but before I had time to answer I was forced to push the thought from my mind.” ‘Rowdy’ refused to touch gloves with Holm when the pair met in the Octagon, as the latter had attempted a cheap shot at the weight-ins the day before.
Ronda Rousey has revealed she suffered ‘self-destructive thoughts’ before she was knocked out by Holly Holm.
Rousey’s life changed forever 10 year ago after her first career defeat to Holm in front of more than 56,000 fans at UFC 193.
At the time, ‘Rowdy’ was undefeated in 12 professional bouts, including six straight wins in the UFC during a dominating spell in Dana White’s promotion.
Having just knocked out Bethe Correia in just 34 seconds at UFC 190 Brazil in August 2015, Rousey received an urgent phone call from UFC CEO Dana White.
He pleaded with Rousey to step up and save the UFC 193 card in Australia after MMA veteran Robbie Lawler withdrew from his main event with Carlos Condit due to a hand injury.
This meant that Rousey would have to step back into the Octagon sooner than expected only three months after her win over Correira.
In a powerful reflection on that pivotal moment, Rousey recounts in her memoir, ‘Our Fight,’ how her internal struggles had been consuming her, leading to the brutal KO that ultimately change her career forever.
“I’ve always had trouble with intrusive thoughts, like if you say: ‘Try not to think of a blue duck,’ I will keep thinking of a blue duck constantly to remind myself not to think of the blue duck,” she said.
“The harder I tried to push a thought out, the more I’d be consumed by it. Only it wasn’t the blue ducks, it was self-destructive thoughts.
“I was living a bucket-list life, and yet, I constantly found myself thinking about dwelling on horrible things that happened years before or ways that everything I had worked for could all be taken away – and then I just couldn’t stop thinking of them.
“Outside I exuded confidence, but inside I constantly battled these fears.”
Rousey was reluctant to accept the Holy fight at first, but felt her commitment to White, which she describes as a ‘blood oath,’ meant she had no choice but to say yes.
“‘F***,’ I sighed as I hung up the phone from Dana. For the first time since my MMA career started, I didn’t feel raring to fight. I just felt tired,” she said.
Fight night then quickly approached as Rousey explained key moments when she found herself constantly battling with her own mental demons far before she stood toe-to-toe with Holm.
One of them came when her hairdresser mentioned that an itchy palm was back luck, and from then onwards Rousey’s palm ‘itched incessantly, accompanied by a feeling of foreboding.’
“I’m the baddest b**** on the planet, why is an itchy palm f***ing me up so much? I’d ask myself, but I didn’t have an answer,” Rousey recalled.
Rousey also said coming face-to-face with her hectic schedule, as she was the star of the show, and her mum’s hatred towards her coach, Edmond, handed her even more issues to deal with.
She also cited repeating the phrase: ‘Be the best on your worst day,’ over and over again when all seemed to be going against her.
Ronda Rousey's UFC career
End of an era
Loss to Amanda Nunes via first-round TKO/KO at UFC 207 in December 2016
Loss to Holly Holm via first-round TKO/KO at UFC 193 in November 2015 (dropped bantamweight title)
Win over Bethe Correia via first-round TKO/KO at UFC 190 in August 2015
Win over Cat Zingano via first-round submission at UFC 184 in February 2015
Win over Alexis Davis via first-round TKO/KO at UFC 175 in July 2014
Win over Sara McMann via first-round TKO/KO at UFC 170 in February 2014
Win over Miesha Tate via third-round submission at UFC 168 in December 2013
Win over Liz Carmouche via first-round submission at UFC 157 in February 2013 (won bantamweight title on debut in first-ever women’s UFC fight)
Her popularity was so big at the time that White ordered security detail to follow her everyday, saying it was about protecting the top UFC champions.
Weeks out from the fight, Rousey’s struggles started to ramp up after she ‘blacked out’ getting scales from her car, which added an extra pain to the six knee surgeries she had already undergone since she first torn her ACL at 16.
Her last two hurdles came on fight night when she was forced to use a gum shield that hadn’t been molded properly and tripped in the walk out to her fight.
“In fifteen previous fights, I had never stumbled,” Rousey explained.
“Did that just happen? I asked myself, but before I had time to answer I was forced to push the thought from my mind.”
‘Rowdy’ refused to touch gloves with Holm when the pair met in the Octagon, as the latter had attempted a cheap shot at the weight-ins the day before.
Rousey had won all six of her UFC bantamweight title bouts until this moment, but the first minute of her fight with Holm went unlike any of the champions previous bouts.
Instead of getting rag-dolled like her predecessors, Holm stayed on the outside, remaining patient to counter the champion whenever she should.
She was also able to resist the clinch and began catching Rousey with straight left hands, as Holm realised her opponent’s lack of head movement could be pounced on.
‘The Preacher’s Daughter’ shockingly won the first round, but no one could have predicted what was to come in the second.
“My mouth was filled with blood. I walked to the corner, biting my lip like you would if it was a piece of chapped skin, but it was a chunk of flesh that I bit off and spit out,” Rousey said, speaking on her thoughts during the fight.
“I went to my stool and sat down…I couldn’t make out any of [my coaches] words.
“I focused on the only thing that made sense in that moment, hiding that I was hurt. I had one minute to recover.
“I just needed to shake it off. I sat there, nodded, and went back out for the second round.
“And then I don’t remember anything.”
Shortly after both women emerged for round two, Holm had Rousey in serious trouble after catching her again and again with nasty blows.
After avoiding a strike from Rousey, Holm rocked the champ with another left hand before delivering one of the most famous head kicks in UFC history.
As Rousey turned to face Holm having been stunned by the former boxer’s blow, Holm threw a high kick that knocked Rousey out cold.
A dazed Rousey was eventually helped to her feet by doctors as Holm was crowned the new UFC bantamweight champion.
Rousey returned to the Octagon over a year later, but was finished by Amanda Nunes in 48 seconds at UFC 207 in December 2016.
‘Rowdy’ was rumoured to make a comeback at UFC 300 in April 2024 before White announced that would not be happening.
Rousey was spotted training alongside ex-UFC rival Cat Zingano in her latest social media post, which has more fuel to the fire that she could be gearing up for one last dance in the Octagon.
