Amanda Nunes of Brazil reacts after defeating Ronda Rousey in their UFC women's bantamweight championship bout during the UFC 207 event at T-Mobile Arena on December 30, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo : Getty Images/Christian Petersen)
Previously one of the most dominant figures in women's mixed martial arts, "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey has recently succumbed to two losses on the bounce. Because of this, there have been lots of talks about her possible retirement from the sport and possibly further pursuing a career in acting or even professional wrestling. Now, her ex-sparring partner even claims that her retirement is only a matter of time.
"Yeah, I think [Rousey's] going to retire," said Olympic boxing bronze medalist and former Rousey sparring partner Tony Jeffries in an interview with Starsport, as cited by the Daily Star. He stated his belief that her recent string of losses could be attributed to her putting her movie deals and sponsorships above focusing on her craft. He added that her poor performances could potentially spell the end of these lucrative deals.
A number of sources also claimed that Rousey was in a depressed state following her two UFC losses, especially the one she sustained against Amanda Nunes, who is the current UFC women's bantamweight champion. Nunes knocked Rousey out with a series of unanswered strikes in the span of just 48 seconds.
Other UFC competitors have also stated that it is high time Rousey hung up her gloves. Current UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping has urged her to walk away now that she has already became the face of MMA, defended the title a number of times before losing it, and gained celebrity status along the way. However, other fighters such as Anderson Silva have given her advice and urged her on to continue in the sport.
Should Rousey decide to retire though, she is more than welcome in the WWE. Triple H, the WWE's vice president of Talent Relations, has confirmed holding talks with her and said that there is a chance that she will make further appearances in the wrestling promotion's shows, ComicBook.com reported. He also said that it would make sense for her to become a professional wrestler from an entertainment standpoint.
Rousey has yet to make an official statement regarding her future in the UFC and in mixed martial arts as a whole. However, her fans will be hoping that two losses will not be enough to sway her to a different career path.
Watch Rousey's appearance at WrestleMania 31 in the video below:
