FILE — Ronda Rousey speaks to media at a press conference leading up to her fight against Holly Holm in UFC 183 at the Glendale Fighting Club on October 27, 2015 in Glendale, California. Harry How/Getty Images/AFP
Ronda Rousey’s perfect UFC record is history but the iconic woman fighter said her loss to Holly Holm may have been for the best.
As per Inside Halton, the former UFC women’s bantamweight champion said that stunning defeat will make her a better fighter in the future.
“When it comes to challenges, I honestly believe that things happen for a reason,” Rousey said at a Reebok event. “At the time yes it’s hard on a personal, emotional level and it’s hard to look past what’s happening to the future, but you have to believe in yourself because down the line in two, five, 10 years’ time you’ll look back and think that was actually the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Holm (10-1) knocked Rousey (12-1) out at UFC 193 with a head kick to claim the title, but she immediately lost it to Miesha Tate (18-5) in her first title defense at UFC 196.
Rousey said it’s natural for a fighter to lose and she’s still vulnerable to be on the receiving end of a knockout.
“Every single setback it’s not the end of the world, it’s just the beginning of that lesson,” Rousey said. “That had to happen for me to learn these certain things and it’s not about being completely infallible, it’s about getting better and there’s no room for improvement in perfect.”