Ronda Rousey Overcomes Concussion Struggles, Teases Bold UFC & WWE Comeback

Ronda Rousey’s UFC run came to an end in 2016 after back-to-back knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes. Years later, she revealed the toll her judo background had taken on her, admitting, “So much had to do with having so many concussions when I was in judo before I even got into MMA.” Looking for a new chapter, the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist shifted to pro wrestling in 2018, making her WWE debut at WrestleMania 34. She quickly became a top star, winning both the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Championships as well as the 2022 Royal Rumble.

By then, Rousey had already embraced motherhood, welcoming her first daughter before continuing her WWE career. But in 2023, her time with the company ended after a SummerSlam loss to Shayna Baszler and frustration with Vince McMahon’s creative direction. This past January, she gave birth to her second daughter. Seven months later, the 38-year-old took to Instagram to share an update with her loyal fan base, sparking speculation that the 12-2 fighter might be gearing up for a return after nine years. And now she’s done it again.

Ronda Rousey puts in the work to sharpen her arsenal

Yesterday, Ronda Rousey took to Instagram to share a clip of her training session, where she was seen working on her judo and grappling skills. She captioned it, “Thanks for being the uchi homie @pndaocn and taking all these falls like a G 🙏🏼 (And this may make me sound like a crotchety old millennial but filming action vertically is a pain in the a–).” By doing so, it seems Rousey is not only revisiting her roots but also showing signs of overcoming her concussion struggles while teasing a bold UFC and WWE comeback.

In her new book, Our Fight, Ronda Rousey reflects on her career, motherhood, and her long battle with concussions. “I’d been compounding concussion after concussion for so many years,” she wrote, recalling her early training under her mother’s coaching at a time when concussion research wasn’t widely acknowledged. Back then, people would dismiss her symptoms with remarks like, “Your head hurts? Su-k it up.”

For Ronda Rousey, concussions were viewed as less than neurological damage and more of a “personal weakness.” That mindset shaped her fight strategy, finishing opponents as quickly as possible to avoid taking shots to the head. She broke barriers for women in MMA with her ferocity, but in 2015, Rousey’s first professional defeat came at the hands of Holly Holm in front of 56,000 fans. Holm’s first punch gave her a concussion, and by the second round, the then 28-year-old was knocked out cold. The crushing loss, followed by another knockout defeat in 2016, ultimately led her to step away from fighting to protect her health.

MMA often promotes a culture of toughness that can overshadow serious risks like concussions, something Rousey now reflects on deeply. She admits worrying about a “future shrouded by concussions,” yet chooses to focus on the positives, finding joy in the present and appreciating where she is today. And with Ronda Rousey now prioritizing her health while sharpening her MMA skills again, her return to training has already raised eyebrows. Even Paddy Pimblett admitted being stunned after Rousey’s coach revealed the UFC legend once kept him from enjoying his own son’s baseball game.

Ronda Rousey finds her forever teammate in her brother

During the August 27 appearance with Paddy Pimblett, judo master Justin “JFLO” Flores reflected on his deep connection with Ronda Rousey. He revealed that his father, who was also Rousey’s godfather, became a father figure to her for nearly a decade. Flores even credited his dad for shaping parts of Rousey’s persona, recalling, “To look through them, through the scowl…my dad coached her on that look. Such a weird thing.” That trademark scowl would go on to define her presence in combat sports.

Flores explained that Rousey trained alongside him and his brother from an early age, demanding to be treated no differently than the boys. “She only wanted to go with me and my brother because we were the only two that treated her like a dude,” he shared. The training sessions were brutal, often ending in tears, but Flores believes the tough-love approach, combined with her mother’s guidance and other coaches’ influence, shaped Rousey into a world-class judoka.

Flores also remembered one of Rousey’s breakthrough MMA moments, though he almost missed it. He was at his son’s baseball game, streaming the fight on his phone with just one percent battery left. “My phone dies…I did not even know what happened,” he said. Once he recharged it, his device was flooded with messages before crashing under the weight of notifications. Looking back, Flores admitted the timing felt almost poetic: “It did kind of give me, like, man, it all kind of means something.” But the bigger question is, will Ronda Rousey really return to the UFC? What do you think?