Decorated former UFC queen, Ronda Rousey has dropped a massive hint over the fighting future of her legendary family off the back of her latest birth. Interestingly, Rousey’s own journey into combat sports was off the back of a decorated familial lineage – in fact, she had sizeable footprints to follow in.
The former Strikeforce champion’s mother, AnnMaria De Mars was a prolific judoka to boot. And becoming the first American woman to win gold at the World Judo Championships – De Mars was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame in the last decade.
Paving her own way as a decorated judo player, Rousey used her grappling skills to massive success in the UFC. Before the Californian would be caught up by the competition, she would defend gold a staggering six times.
The inaugural UFC women’s bantamweight champion in the Octagon, recently welcomed the birth of her second child, Liko’ula Pa’uomahinakaipiha Browne, alongside ex-heavyweight contender, Travis Browne. The birth came following the couple’s first daughter, La’akea Makalapuaokalanipō Browne – whom they welcomed in 2021.
And while her own combat sports career is over, Rousey hinted her latest offspring may have a future in the sport. “3 generations, 1 mat,” Rousey posted on Instagram, accompanied by a photo of herself, De Mars, and her newborn daughter.
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With Rousey likely never to compete again – akin to UFC veteran, Browne, the former addressed her combat sports tenure in some unsettling terms last year.
Neurological issues prevented UFC comeback
Considered retired from fighting, Rousey has still been long-linked with a return to the Octagon for one final fight. In fact, these rumors spread to their highest degree ahead of UFC 300 last year. Linked with a trilogy fight with former foe, Miesha Tate, Rousey opened up on her decision to step away from the sport.
Ending her stint with back-to-back devastating knockout losses to both Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, the former Olympian worryingly addressed the damage she suffered from competing extensively.
“Every couple years – the same rumor [of a UFC return] comes out,” Ronda Rousey told the Insight podcast. “It’s nice to feel missed, I guess. But it’s not happening. I’m not neurologically fit to compete anymore at the highest level. I just can’t”, she added with a note of disappointment.
“You just get to a level where the neurological injuries you take accumulate over time,” Rousey explained, adding, “They don’t get any better.”
However, these ailments haven’ been exactly able to keep her away from the action. Rousey did compete in professional wrestling with the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) to much acclaim.
But since her exit from the UFC and WWE, Rousey – considered a definite pioneer for women’s mixed martial arts, claims her legacy has been ripped to shreds. The Riverside grappler has often asserted how the media never gave her the respect she deserved during her iconic run. So any sort of return to competition really seemed off the cards from the get-go before UFC 300.
