Ronda Rousey
Ronda Rousey’s fall from grace was surprisingly swift and brutal, going from being a seemingly indestructable force of nature in women’s MMA to a shrinking violet in the space of just two fights.
Of course it all began when Rousey faced off against former boxer turned MMA fighter Holly Holm at UFC 193 in 2015.
Rousey’s popularity was at an all-time high at the time and so was her self belief, but Holm soon turned ‘Rowdy’s’ world upside down by beating her into a bloody pulp on the feet before finally putting her away with a head kick knockout early in the second round.
It had been an utterly one-sided encounter that had exposed major weaknesses in Rousey’s stand-up and it clearly left her reeling, quickly vanishing from the public spotlight as speculation mounted that she might walk away from the sport.
In the end Rousey did steel herself for a comeback fight a year later, and rather than getting a tune-up bout she went straight for an immediate title shot against Amanda Nunes.
It seemed like a tough fight on paper and Rousey’s pre-fight demeanor did little to inspire confidence, appearing far less confident than in her previous fights, while also refusing to do media interviews.
Nunes on the other hand was riding a wave of momentum and started the fight in typically fast fashion, immediately putting Rousey on the backfoot with strikes and then wobbling her, leaving the shellshocked former-champion reeling around the Octagon and eventually out on her feet as more blows landed to produce a TKO stoppage just 48 seconds into the fight.
It was another humiliating loss for Rousey, who took some time out afterwards and then made a decision to jump ship and start a new career in pro-wrestling.
