Rousey: I would rather die than lose
“I know that I would rather physically die than die inside from losing a fight. I remember every single loss of my career, but have forgotten so many of my victories.”
Gameness
The will to win greater than the will to live.
UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey was interviewed recently for Jim Rome on Showtime,” which aired Tuesday at 10:00 p.m.
“With Liz Carmouche, I thought I could die for sure,” said Rousey. “I blocked a choke so she turned it into a neck crank. I felt my jaw dislocate and I was thinking I would rather break my neck than lose this fight.”
“Have you even lost the Olympics? I would rather die than lose. I know that feeling so well. It’s not that I’ve never lost. I’ve lost at the worst time so I know what a loss is. That’s why I want to win so much more than these other girls.
“It feels like dying to me. I’d rather die.”
UFC president Dana White has repeatedly said that Rousey would destroy the average man in a fight. She would. But would she?
“People ask me, ‘Do you think you could beat this person’ or ‘Can you beat that person?’ said Rousey. “I’m never going to place limits on myself. I’m not going to say that I can’t do something. You can’t tell me there isn’t a string of circumstances or events that could lead to me beating anyone.
“Realistically, I don’t think it’s a good idea at all. MMA is already fighting to be accepted, and especially with all the Ray Rice and things going on, it’s never going to be a good thing to have a man hitting a woman on television or ever in any circumstance. Unless, it’s like the gym training where I’m about to go right after this.”
One thing Rousey is scared of is what’s next.
“That’s one big worry of mine,” said Rousey. “There are so many people out there who fight too long. I don’t know how I’m going to deal with it. I tried stepping away from judo, and I’ve never been so depressed and lost in my whole life. I want to be able to step away and step away for real.
“When I retire, I’m going to retire forever. I’m not going to be that person that comes back. I don’t know how I’m going to handle it. That’s one of the things I’m actually scared of.”
“I’m afraid of life after. I’m doing everything I can to make sure I have that new quest and goal or whatever to go after next so I’m not left with… Before I was left broke with no goals, but if I’m left rich with no goals, that’s a little bit more comfortable, but mentally I’d be in the same place.
“I make that decision after every fight whether or not I’m going to still keep going. I haven’t gotten a single bruise from being hit yet in a fight.”
Rousey fights Cat Zingano in early 2015, date TBA.
