Kobe Bryant Once Personally Sent Ronda Rousey an Unexpected Message After Her Devastating Loss: “It Was a Beautiful Thing”

The late Kobe Bryant is a legend of the game of basketball. He has won 5 NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers. During his illustrious career, he has won multiple individual accolades as well. While fans love him for his basketball skills, he is also looked up to for his mindset. The ‘mamba’ mentality is very influential around the world. Kobe played the game with tenacity and no fear. Due to this, he is adored by athletes of other sports as well.

Bryant always tried to reach out to fellow athletes and motivate them. And he did just that with Ronda Rousey after her hard loss to Holly Holm. Before the fight, Rousey was undefeated in the UFC with a record 6-0, with 3 knockout wins and 3 submission wins. She was at the top of her game. So she made a bold claim that she would retire undefeated, and destroy every challenger.

Kobe Bryant had a message for Ronda Rousey

After Rousey’s loss to Holm in UFC 193, a lot of fans and celebrities were quick to laugh at her. Unlike the others, the Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant tried to lift her up.

Bryant revealed that he reached out to Rousey in an effort to motivate her. Kobe said, “That’s what it’s about. It’s not about how you win. A true champion is about how you lose and come back from that.” 

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He continued, “I told her, ‘It’s a beautiful thing.’ That’s what I told her. I said, ‘To be a true champion sometimes you have to get knocked down.’ It happens to the best of us. It happened with my Achilles (when I tore it), (Muhammad) Ali got put down several times – it happens to the best of us.”

‘The Black Mamba’ also said that he is eager to see Rousey come back from this low point of her career. He said that if she had gone through her whole career undefeated, no one would be able to relate to her. The Lakers legend also said that the ability to bounce back is the mark of a true champion.

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Unfortunately for Rousey, her comeback didn’t go to plan as she lost to Amanda Nunes in 2016 and her UFC career came to a sad end. However, she then turned her attention to the WWE. Rowdy Ronda was an instant hit with WWE fans around the world. Now, Rousey is the second longest-reigning Raw Women’s Champion at 231 days in total.