Ronda Rousey on UFC Losses, WWE Debut at WrestleMania 34: 'This Is so Worth It'

No one expected Ronda Rousey's UFC career to end when it did. On the heels of her WrestleMania debut, though, she is viewing her fall from grace as a blessing in disguise. 

The former UFC women's bantamweight champion last appeared in the Octagon in December 2016, but she has now turned her career toward the squared circle of pro wrestling.

 Rousey told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne:

"It was me versus the world in an individual sport. I thought I would never say this, but I'm so happy I lost those fights [to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes] because it led me here. This is so worth it. 

"Everything really does happen for a reason. I'm just so grateful. I thought I never would be [grateful] for [the losses], but time is a great teacher. I'm just really, really glad I gave it time instead of giving up and feeling it was the end of the world. There's so many people who encounter tragedies who feel like the world and time won't heal it. But all I can say to those people is: Just give it time, even if you think time can't heal it. You never know what will happen and where it will lead you. Every missed opportunity is a blessing in disguise. I really believe it now."

Rousey, once the most famous face in UFC, teamed with Kurt Angle to defeat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon at WrestleMania 34 on Sunday.

Despite a healthy sense of skepticism from wrestling diehards, Rousey acquitted herself well in her WWE debut, which some saw as the best match of the night.

She said:

"I owe the WWE Universe an apology, because I thought they were going to boo me out of the building from day one. They really accepted me from day one. Hopefully, I satisfied a lot of skeptics tonight.

"I underestimated how kind the WWE universe would be. I thought any outsiders would be shunned. I was expecting to get shunned and to have to battle to be accepted. I worked my ass off to pay respect to what's so important to them, and hopefully they saw that tonight. I'm just so grateful, man. I'm trying my best to deserve it."

Rousey signed a multi-year contract with WWE in January. She made her first appearance for the company at the Royal Rumble, pointing at the WrestleMania sign.

While many took that as a sign she'd be competing for one of the two women's championships, she soon became involved in an angle with McMahon and Triple H—completing a feud that began three years ago at WrestleMania.

The next step for Rousey will be becoming a part of the company's main roster and competing on a near-nightly basis. That will undoubtedly be a challenge, as she had months to prepare for her WWE debut. Becoming a "wrestler" who can work on the fly is going to be the greatest test of her transition.