LAS VEGAS — No one can be sure whether Ronda Rousey made her final appearance in the Octagon at UFC 207 Friday at T-Mobile Arena, where her long-awaited return after a 13-month layoff from mixed martial arts lasted just 48 seconds.
Rousey was knocked out on her feet in the first round by defending champion Amanda Nunes, and if this is her final fight, Rousey can hold her head high for what she has meant to women’s MMA.
It was troubling to hear the depth of darkness Rousey sank to following her loss to Holly Holm on Nov. 15, 2015, in Melbourne, Australia. She went in seclusion, and when she did make a public appearance, she talked of contemplating suicide and questioned her worth without owning the UFC women’s bantamweight championship. Hopefully, that won’t happen this time.
The devastation of losing her first fight was understandable. She had been put on such a lofty pedestal her dominance was compared to Mike Tyson, when he ravaged boxing’s heavyweight division. Rousey graced the covers of mainstream magazines, appeared in movies and television commercials, expertly combining her looks and rags-to-riches appeal into a marketing machine.
When it all came crashing down against Holm, Rousey admitted she didn’t know how to cope. Even at UFC 207, there still were residual scars. She limited her exposure to the media, negotiating not to attend the traditional fight-week workout and press conference.
During her weigh-in, she stepped on the scale and quickly marched off without addressing the fans with a few comments, as is the norm.
When she spoke on a brief video that appeared on FOX Sports 1 on Thursday night, it was hard to figure out if she was a fighter trying to be as focused as possible or selfish.
“I don’t care how this pay-per-view does,” she said. “I don’t care how much money I make. I don’t care about interviews, and I don’t care how I look. All I care about is winning my belt back on Friday night and that’s it.”
It’s been a stunning contrast to the way she operated previously. Rousey always had been a willing promoter of the UFC and women’s MMA. She was approachable and cooperative. Her charm and good looks made her a global star, and her viciousness inside the Octagon only added to her appeal.
That will be the lasting impression of Rousey, regardless of the brutally quick loss in UFC 207. Her fan base is loyal. During the weigh-in Thursday, she clearly was the crowd favorite, cheered by the majority of the 4,000 fans at the T-Mobile Arena. Many of those same Rousey fans booed Amanda Nunes, the reigning champion who wore a lion’s mask while stepping on the scales.
Nunes, in many ways, is a product of Rousey’s impact on MMA. The Brazilian was fighting in her second straight main event of a pay-per-view card having lifted the title from Miesha Tate at UFC 200. There was a time when White was reluctant to have women fight for the UFC. Because of Rousey, women have become a top attraction.
At UFC 208 at Barclays Center on Feb. 11, women will headline again when Holm faces Germaine de Randamie for the newly created 145-pound women’s featherweight division. The creation of the division also is linked to Rousey, as many see it as an avenue for a future bout between Rousey and Cris “Cyborg” Justino.
White knows Rousey’s contribution and value, which is why he allowed her to do a minimum of promotion leading up to the bout.
“She’s done a lot for the company,” he said. “She’s done a lot for the sport and for women in the sport, and she’s never asked for much. She asked for this, and we said yes.”
Rousey should know she always will be remembered as a pioneer and a champion.
