Ronda Rousey’s still in rough shape after her loss to Holly Holm, but she’s also somewhat bullish on her return.
Admitting that she’s “really f***ing sad” about the loss to Holm in a new interview with ESPN The Magazine (out this week and previewed by People.com), Rousey expressed some optimism about her fighting future.
“Maybe I can’t do it all before my prime, before my body is done,” Rousey said. “But f*** it, maybe I can.”
As to when her return might happen, UFC 200 in July has been the assumed date, but Rousey suffered significant dental damage in the loss at UFC 193 in Australia, and said it could be a while before she’s able to compete.
“It might be three to six months before I can eat an apple, let alone take an impact,” she said.
More from her interview will be out in the magazine issue (the cover of which Rousey will be gracing once again; see below) later this week.
Penick’s Analysis: Rousey’s getting back out in the public light, and addressing the loss head on may wind up being a positive thing for her. It was a crushing experience for her, without question, and that defeat is something she needs to deal with personally in order to move forward. The comments about her inability to take an impact for a long time is concerning for the timetable, and if it’s going to be that long before she can even begin training, the UFC may have to look at getting another challenger lined up for Holm. If Rousey’s not going to be able to make UFC 200, then that’s what they should do, because Holm herself doesn’t want to wait that long. It’s still a bit up in the air, because Rousey could be overestimating or embellishing how long she’ll need for recovery, but the UFC will have to give significant consideration to a different matchup based on her status.
[Photo (c) Jason da Silva via USA Today Sports]
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