Ronda Rousey, in the unfolding of her latest memoir, ‘Our Fight’, delve deeper into the medical circumstances that led to her exit from the UFC. Acclaimed as the ‘Baddest Woman on the Planet’, she describes how a string of past concussions gave birth to severe migraine problems that often blurred her vision while in matches. She has now volunteered for a long-term neuroscience study for fighters to reveal further clarity about what derailed the trajectory of her career in the octagon ring.
Rousey pinpointed her chronic migraine problems, which she discovered are intertwined with her family history of epilepsy. She revealed the existence of a correlation between epilepsy and recurrent migraines, which played a significant role in her professional challenges.
A worrisome ‘feedback loop’ emerged as Rousey connected her history of concussions and her vulnerability to migraines. She shed light on the fact that those who often suffer from migraines are at a higher risk of developing concussions. This feedback loop demonstrated that the risk of migraines increased with each repeated concussion, leading to a vicious cycle of symptoms.
Rousey lucidly expressed that during her fights, a hit would often result in a loss of critical pieces of her vision, depth perception, and quick movement tracking, all key components critical for her performance. This became a dominant issue, progressively worsening over time and disturbing her fight rhythm.
The fighter’s increasing sensitivity to light was another searing issue. After even normal sparring sessions, she needed to retreat to a dim, quiet room to escape the painful glare. A dismal pattern began to emerge, where even relatively lighter hits began to trigger her symptoms, causing her to dangerously lose her vision during the game.
Rousey acknowledged that the severity of her condition was something she was hesitant to discuss during her active fighting period, to avoid being perceived as trying to justify potential losses. Yet, these medical issues greatly slanted the playing field, demanding her to deliver a flawless win, no errors allowed. The margins for making mistakes were exceedingly slim.
Though Rousey’s days in the UFC have ended, the rumor mill is buzzing with anticipation about her possible return to WWE. The notion of her comeback has become a topic of intrigue and speculation among fans and insiders alike.
The TKO viewing her previous run on WWE as a missed opportunity mainly due to differences in creative vision and botched booking, is now speculated to be quite keen on propelling her back on the scene. Whether the ‘Baddest Woman on the Planet’ dons the wrestling boots again and returns to Vince McMahon’s fold is yet to be seen. It undoubtedly remains a discussion of considerable interest.