Ronda Rousey’s future is cloudy at best following her shocking 48 second loss on Friday to hard hitting Brazilian slugger Amanda Nunes. The elusive UFC superstar left the arena that night as she arrived, silent and unwilling to engage with the media. But on New Years Eve she released a statement thanking her fans for sticking with her through the hard times and saying she needed to “take some time to reflect and think about the future.”
That’s obviously code for “decide whether to fight again or not.” And while many think Rousey’s best fighting days are behind her, one person who knows a little bit about adversity in the world of mixed martial arts thinks she should stick around. I’m talking about former light heavyweight champion, pound for pound great, and currently-suspended-over-penis-pills fighter Jon Jones.
My advice to Ronda would be to pick yourself up and try again.
— BONY (@JonnyBones) December 31, 2016
I believe Rousey will be a champion for the rest of her life, even if she never wins another fight
— BONY (@JonnyBones) December 31, 2016
I think it's important for Ronda to show her fans how great she truly is by displaying her courage and giving it another try.
— BONY (@JonnyBones) December 31, 2016
What she does next will truly determine her legacy. I really hope she chooses to be a unbroken. Her story doesn't have to be over here
— BONY (@JonnyBones) December 31, 2016
I also still believe she beats 90% of the division. Lots of ass kicking still to be done, lots of money to be made
— BONY (@JonnyBones) December 31, 2016
Maybe she just needs to complement her coach with an MMA family. Maybe she should join one of the bigger MMA teams
— BONY (@JonnyBones) December 31, 2016
Being around other bad asses and constantly sharing your spotlight could be good for you and so many ways. They can improve on your humility
— BONY (@JonnyBones) December 31, 2016
Constantly being humbled is never a bad thing in a sport like this
— BONY (@JonnyBones) December 31, 2016
I wonder if this is a covert recruitment attempt from Jon and his coaches at Jackson-Winkeljohn, one of the best fight teams in MMA. That might be a bit awkward, though. Original Ronda killer Holly Holm trains there, and they were the ones who figured Ronda’s game out and gave her that first bitter taste of defeat. But who better to train with than those who know your weaknesses inside and out?
Ignoring the problems and sticking with the same old coaching obviously didn’t help Rousey at UFC 207. So if she does plan on continuing to fight, here’s hoping she heeds Jon’s words and consider joining one of the big fight teams. As much of a mess as he’s been outside the Octagon, his results inside the cage speak for themselves.