Ronda Rousey, the women’s sports trailblazer who became a mainstream phenomenon during a memorable eight-fight run in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, spoke at length about the spectacular end of her mixed martial arts career for the first time on Sunday after claiming victory in a stunning WWE debut at Wrestlemania 34.
The 31-year-old became the UFC’s first female champion in 2012 and made six defenses of the women’s bantamweight belt, each inside the distance and all but one inside the first round.
But the former Olympic bronze judo medallist suffered a spectacular knockout loss to Holly Holm in 2015, then after a year-long layoff was dominated in her comeback fight against Amanda Nunes.
She announced in January she was leaving behind UFC to join World Wrestling Entertainment full-time after more than a year in professional limbo and made her debut with the promotion on Sunday night in New Orleans, where she teamed up to defeat Stephanie McMahon and her partner Triple H in an encounter that thoroughly entertained the 78,133-strong crowd.
Afterward, Rousey told ESPN she was happy with her move to WWE and had no regrets about the losses to Holm and Nunes.
“It was me versus the world in an individual sport,” Rousey told the network. “I thought I would never say this, but I’m so happy I lost those fights [to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes] because it led me here. This is so worth it.
“Everything really does happen for a reason. I’m just so grateful. I thought I never would be [grateful] for [the losses], but time is a great teacher. I’m just really, really glad I gave it time instead of giving up and feeling it was the end of the world. There’s so many people who encounter tragedies who feel like the world and time won’t heal it.
“But all I can say to those people is: Just give it time, even if you think time can’t heal it. You never know what will happen and where it will lead you. Every missed opportunity is a blessing in disguise. I really believe it now.”
Fellow former UFC fighter Brock Lesnar rounded off the evening at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome by defeating challenger Roman Reigns to retain his position as universal champion.
However, the match was met with jeers from the crowd, as many hoped or expected 40-year-old Lesnar, the longest-reigning universal champion, to lose his title.
Lesnar’s victory comes amid speculation that he will be leaving WWE to return to mixed martial arts in the UFC.
UFC president Dana White told FOX that Lesnar would be returning to the sport last week.
Elsewhere 40-year-old star John Cena was defeated by WWE legend the Undertaker, 53, as the latter came out of retirement to win in less than three minutes.
Nia Jax won the Raw women’s title from Alexa Bliss, while AJ Styles claimed the WWE championship from Shinsuke Nakamura.
The event set a new record at the stadium in Louisiana, as its highest grossing entertainment event ever, bringing in $14.1m (£10m).
