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)
Retired UFC women’s champion Miesha Tate was among the critics who hit out at the controversial media blackout by Ronda Rousey and believed something was off. Some believed it was a tactical maneuver while “Cupcake” believed “Rowdy was simply unprepared to return.
Ronda Rousey did return after more than a year after her loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193. Based on her performance, her confidence level was suspect and such led to the 48-second TKO loss at the hands of Amanda Nunes at UFC 207.
The body language of Rousey alone affirms the initial take of Tate. Before the match took place, she questioned the intent of the former champion, believing that she was struggling, MMA Junkie reported.
Amanda Nunes was also left thinking on whether the media blackout was one of the ploys of Rousey to get into her head. Promising that she is focused, the “Brazilian Vixen” did show that in emphatic fashion with her striking that became too much for Rousey to handle.
Tate further added that if Rousey has wanted to return, she would have done so earlier. The fact that it took her more than a year to return inside the Octagon indicates that her head is probably somewhere else.
The crushing loss left Rousey pondering once again her future. Retirement has been suggested by critics though the former UFC champion hinted prior to UFC 207 that this would be among the last matches she will take. Could it be the last one?
Even her mother, AnnMaria De Mars dished that Ronda should retire and focus on other things. Aside from mixed martial arts, she singled out how her daughter was gifted in filming, producing and writing.
The answer to that remains unclear for now. Rousey plans to take some time off yet again to figure out what her next move would be in an interview with ESPN. Similar to her UFC 193 downfall, the final verdict could take some time to figure out on her end.
"I need to take some time to reflect and think about the future. Thank you for believing in me and understanding."
The video below shows AnnMaria De Mars explaining why Ronda Rousey should consider retirement.
