Ronda Rousey Reveals She Had Suicidal Thoughts After Holly Holm Loss

Ronda Rousey has revealed the disappointment felt after losing to Holly Holm at UFC 193 prompted some thoughts of suicide.

The former UFC bantamweight champion was shockingly knocked out in November last year and took a while to return to the public eye.

But speaking on the The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Tuesday (h/t Paul Chavez of the Daily Mail), she opened up at length for the first time about the defeat and how she was initially distraught in the immediate aftermath:

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I was literally sitting there and thinking about killing myself and that exact second I’m like ‘I’m nothing, what do I do anymore and no one gives a s--t about me anymore without this.’ ...

To be honest I looked up and I saw my man Travis was standing up there and I looked up at him and I was like, I need to have his babies. I need to stay alive.

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Rousey headed into the fight with Holm as the heavy favourite, having never been beaten in professional MMA and having dominated all of her recent opponents.    

However, the underdog executed a superb game plan, fighting at range, using her superior striking and gradually wearing down the champion, who grew increasingly sloppy as the fight continued. Eventually, Rousey was stopped in the second round on the back of a brutal left hand and a thunderous kick to the head from Holm.

Here’s a look at how the fight panned out, as Holm stunned the MMA world in Melbourne, Australia:

“In that first hit I cut open my whole mouth and I knocked my teeth loose,” said Rousey on the show. “I knew she was out there, but like I really don’t remember most of it. So I was trying my best to kind of hide the fact that I wasn’t even there anymore.”

After a frantic 2015 in which Rousey stepped into the Octagon three times and had to cope with the pressures of her rapid rise to sporting superstardom, it’s no surprise she is taking her time to return.

Having been in so many high-pressure situations in such a short amount of time, Rousey conceded that perhaps things did ultimately catch up with her. “I think the one thing that was different was that it was my third title fight in nine months, and I don't think anyone has ever attempted that before,” she said.

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

A rematch with Holm at the UFC 200 spectacle later in the summer was ruled out by UFC President Dana White in January, per Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports. However, Rousey did reveal to TMZ Sports that she will be seeking to return to the Octagon later in the year.

As much as MMA fans from across the globe would love to see her back in action soon, it's preferable that the former champion is patient in her recuperation process rather than making any hasty decisions.

That way, she can return at full tilt and be as prepared as possible in her attempts to dominate the division once again.