It took less than two years for Ronda Rousey to hit superstardom in the ever-growing world of MMA. Her name prominently struck a chord when she dethroned former STRIKEFORCE Women’s Bantamweight Champion Miesha Tate in March of last year. Ever since, not a single day in the UFC world goes by that you won’t hear about Rousey. On second thought, I might be exaggerating here, but it’s very clear that this former Olympian has something special going right now.
Mainstream media outlets are covering the combat sport more than ever because of her, but all that may only last for another two years, unless another star like her rises to the top, which is often the case. However, there’s only one Rousey in the world, and she’s currently holding the women’s bantamweight strap thanks to her signature trick, the armbar, and seven straight wins since her pro MMA debut.
According to MMA Junkie, Rousey might be planning to retire from the sport in two years:
“I said from the beginning that I work in quadrennials,” Rousey said. “I do four-year cycles. I think I’ve got two years left in me, realistically, if I’m going to do this like an Olympic run.”
Her last fight with Liz Carmouche was an eye-opener she later explained, and also hinted to stay in acting longer since it has a “much longer shelf life” than getting pummeled inside a cage. However, her primary focus is still on Miesha Tate in December, and keeping the women’s division strong in the UFC.
“I am the best fucking fighter in the world, and I truly believe that, but you’re still rolling the dice no matter who you are, so I do have to kind of set up an exit strategy,” she said. “That’s what I did wrong in judo. I followed it all the way until the end, and I didn’t put any thought into after.”
“I’ve got two more years to get the ball rolling without me. TUF was the first step. It’s not the last one, but the work’s getting done.”
Rousey vs. Tate II is currently scheduled for the December 28th card as the UFC 168 co-main event. The Ultimate Fighter Season 18 debuts on Fox Sports 1 on September 4 at 10:00 p.m. ET.
