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“You Are a Skinny Blonde Girl Who…” – Mother’s Strong Words Left Ronda Rousey “Ashamed” After Losing to a Junior National Champion

Published 12/28/2022, 1:49 PM EST

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Ronda Rousey grew up with two feisty sisters. She was the youngest of the lot and naturally, the smallest but size never stopped her from getting into a fight with her sisters. We can probably credit her sibling rivalries for making her the fighter she became in her career. Rousey, however, didn’t win all the tournaments when she started.

In her memoir, My Fight/Your Fight, ‘The arm collector’ recounted how her mother taught her to not be content with anything less than a win. Ronda Rousey had started fighting in local Judo tournaments by the age of 11. She also tasted initial success when she won her first tournament. At this point, she knew only a few basic Judo skills, but she managed to win. The win raised her interest in Judo, but she was grounded in her next tournament.

When Ronda Rousey learned the value of winning,

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‘Rowdy’ lost the very second contest she fought. A junior national champion defeated her in the finals. While Rousey got some consolation and appreciation from the opposition coach, her own mother schooled her. The opposition coach said, “You did a great job. Don’t feel bad Anastasia is a junior national champion”

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While it did give her momentary consolation, her mother was not in the mood to console her. Her mother told her, “I hope you know better than to believe what he said. You could have won that match,”

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Reinforcing why she should always believe that she could win, her mother AnnMaria De Mars said.” “You are a skinny blonde girl who lives by the beach and unless you absolutely force them to, no one is ever going to expect anything from you in this sport. You prove them wrong.”

Rousey admitted that this instance sparked something inside her. In her book, she said, “I was ashamed that I had been so ready to accept losing. “ She started expecting a win every time she stepped on the mat. Her hunger for victory grew multi-folds.

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Rousey once left her sister Bleeding

Today, Ronda Rousey‘s sisters may joke about being one of the few women who have beaten ‘Rowdy’ in a fight. It used to be an intense affair in their childhood. Ronda Rousey had once thrown a soda can at her sister, which left a deep gash on her head. When Rousey was asked about what she had to say in her defense, she said gave a one-word answer. A celebratory yes, pumping her fist.

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The little fighter in her grew up to be an international-level Judoka who gave America its first Olympic medal in Women’s Judo. The First woman to sign for the UFC and much more. What’s your favorite Ronda Rousey Moment from the UFC? Let us know.

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Watch This Story: From impressive victory to awful Twitter trend, Fire Rond Rousey trends on Twitter after Smackdown Botch

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Written by:

Akshay Pallav

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Akshay Pallav is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. Having completed his undergraduation from National Institute of Fashion Technology in Apparel Production, he has been a sports enthusiast all his life and has several medals at the University level across multiple sports including basketball, badminton, track and field. He aspires to interview Conor McGregor and Cristiano Ronaldo someday.
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Edited by:

Vineet Nandwana