Ronda Rousey on dealing with first UFC loss: “There’s no room for improvement in perfect”

Ronda Rousey’s still mentally working through the knockout loss she suffered to Holly Holm in November, but the former long-reigning champ spoke this week about moving forward.

“Every single setback, it’s not the end of the world, it’s just the beginning of that lesson,” Rousey said at a “Luncheon for Inspirational Women” hosted by Reebok (via Inside Halton). “That had to happen for me to learn these certain things and it’s not about being completely infallible, it’s about getting better and there’s no room for improvement in perfect.”

Rousey will return to the cage later this year, and she’s taking the mindset that the November loss will eventually wind up being a positive thing for her.

“When it comes to challenges, I honestly believe that things happen for a reason,” she said. “At the time yes it’s hard on a personal, emotional level and it’s hard to look past what’s happening to the future, but you have to believe in yourself because down the line in two, five, ten years’ time you’ll look back and think that was actually the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Penick’s Analysis: Rousey had gotten to a point where she felt she could do no wrong. That was only enforced by coach Edmond Tarverdyan, along with the rest of the MMA world who saw no one who was going to beat her. That loss allows her to look at what holes she left open in that fight, and she can try to improve things that perhaps she didn’t realize were issues. That’s a positive for her, though she’s going to have to make strides in short order if she’s going to get herself back to where she was.

[Photo (c) Jason da Silva via USA Today Sports]

(h/t: MMAFighting.com)

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